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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22758742">All Hail The Heartbreaker</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/twenty3/pseuds/twenty3'>twenty3</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>It Started In Boston [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anal Sex, Angst, Blow Jobs, Drug Abuse, Drug Use, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time Bottoming, Hurt/Comfort, IronStrange, M/M, Underage Drinking, Underage Rape/Non-con, not between Tony and Stephen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-29 02:20:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>39,927</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22758742</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/twenty3/pseuds/twenty3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Friends with benefits never, ever works. Tony and Stephen were not an exception to this rule. </p><p>They both knew that. Neither of them cared.</p><p>The last time they saw each other was in 2007, in Boston, before Stephen's Harvard graduation. Now they're running into each other at a gala in New York twelve years later and aren't able to break old habits. For better or for worse.</p><p>**Part Two posted as another story, titled I Love The Way You Lie** 9-27-20</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>IronStrange - Relationship, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>It Started In Boston [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983097</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>243</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks for reading!</p><p>A few notes - I've adjusted the timeline here to make it set in more modern times. Tony and Stephen are in college together in the early 2000s to make their meeting 12 years later happen in 2019. No powers, just a billionaire CEO and brilliant neurosurgeon. </p><p>Please mind the tags! The major warning for rape/non-con doesn't occur between Tony and Stephen, and is only part of a conversation, not described in detail.</p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a bad idea then, and it was a bad idea now.</p><p>They both knew that.</p><p>But knowing never seemed to matter.</p><p>Twelve years was a long time when it came to most things. Apparently, one of those things was not Stephen Strange and Tony Stark’s attraction to one another.</p><p>The former’s breath caught in his throat when he saw Tony across the ballroom of the hotel. If he had had a drink in his hand, it would have definitely slipped from his grasp and crashed to the floor.</p><p>His hair was longer. He now had a goatee that only he could pull off. But his smile was just as bright, and his laughter as intoxicating as it had ever been.</p><p>Stephen tried not to stare, he really did. But god damn if that man didn’t look absolutely perfect in his suit, with his hair styled to look like it wasn’t styled at all. Stephen was about to turn around and find a corner to hide when Tony’s brown eyes met his.</p><p>The billionaire’s smile didn’t falter as he looked over at Stephen. If anything, it grew.</p><p>That knocked the air out of Stephen’s lungs altogether.</p><p>He shouldn’t look that happy. He should look angry, furious after the way things between them had ended. Especially since according to Stephen there hadn’t been anything between them except sex.</p><p>And, oh god, now Tony was walking over to him.</p><p>Why wasn’t he trying to escape? Why was he rooted to the spot?</p><p>Probably those damn brown eyes, that’s why.</p><p>“Doctor Strange.”</p><p>Stephen read Tony’s lips more than heard him due to the overbearing sound of his heart pounding in his ears. He immediately began to analyze Tony’s greeting. He hadn’t been a doctor when they had seen each other last. On his way, sure, but he had still been a day shy of graduating from Harvard.</p><p>“Mr. Stark.”</p><p>He went with an equally formal reply to try and prove a point.</p><p>What that point was, he had no idea.</p><p>“How the hell did you get taller?”</p><p>Stephen’s mind raced. What was the motive here? Tony seemed friendly enough. But he shouldn’t be. Was he really going to just chit chat as if they hadn’t seen each other for twelve years? As if the last time they had spoken hadn’t erupted into screaming and tears?</p><p>“Or did you just get shorter?”</p><p>Oh. Okay. Looks like they were going to just get right back to it.</p><p>Tony’s smile was almost blinding. And it was genuine. Stephen could always tell the real smiles versus the fake ones based on Tony’s eyes.</p><p>God, those eyes…</p><p>“Let’s call it a little of both, yeah?”</p><p>Stephen nodded once in agreement. “I didn’t know you were going to be here tonight,” he said lamely.</p><p>Tony breathed a laugh. “Yeah, I got that by the deer in the headlights look on your face when you saw me. But if you donate enough money, they invite you to these things,” he said with a shrug.</p><p>Stephen gaped. “You’re the anonymous donor?”</p><p>“Apparently not so anonymous.”</p><p>Stephen set his jaw and his gaze turned to a cold stare. “Because you knew this is the hospital where I work? Couldn’t help but throw money at me again?”</p><p>Tony looked thoughtful. “Less than a minute before becoming overly defensive. I’m actually impressed you lasted that long.”</p><p>Stephen just glared.</p><p>“I’ve been giving money to your hospital long before you started your residency,” Tony explained, earning himself an eye roll. “Or maybe you just forgot its where my parents were brought the night they died.”</p><p>Stephen felt his heart fall into his stomach.</p><p>“You might not have ever known that, now that I think about it. I probably didn’t tell you. I doubt it ever came up. But yeah, your morgue? That’s where I had to identify them. So I guess my donations are just...what would you call it? Sentimental bullshit?”</p><p>“Did you come over here just for this?”</p><p>Tony cocked an eyebrow. “You started it.”</p><p>“I’m actually trying to finish it,” Stephen countered. “If you would just accept the god damn checks I keep sending to pay you back.”</p><p>Tony frowned. “What checks?”</p><p>Stephen scoffed. “Knock it off. I send you a check for the full amount I owe you twice every year. And they never get cashed.”</p><p>“First of all, and we’ve been through this before, you don’t owe me anything. Second, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”</p><p>“You expect me to believe that?” Stephen said with a humorless laugh.</p><p>“Guess not. You’ve never believed a word I said, unless it was while you were fuck-”</p><p>“There you are.”</p><p>Tony’s sure to be crude retort was cutoff by an impossibly gorgeous red headed woman walking up to them. She looked as exasperated as Stephen felt.</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry. He just keeps disappearing on me.” She extended her hand and smiled politely. “Pepper Potts, Mr. Stark’s assistant.”</p><p>Stephen tried to return the smile, but knew he failed. “Doctor Stephen Strange.”</p><p>Pepper’s smile turned to sudden realization. “Doctor Strange?”</p><p>“Yes,” Stephen replied, rather rudely.</p><p>“I apologize. I just always thought those checks were a joke, or a scam or something. I didn’t realize they were coming from a real doctor.”</p><p>Stephen looked from Pepper to Tony, who had what can only be categorized as a shit eating grin plastered on his face.</p><p>Pepper turned to her boss. “I should have asked you about them, really. But when they kept coming I assumed it was an attempt at a bribe. God knows we get enough of those.” She shook her head and looked back at Stephen. “I’m sorry, again. I hope it hasn’t caused you any trouble.”</p><p>“None at all,” Stephen deadpanned.</p><p>Before Tony could make a comment, they were joined yet again.</p><p>“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I spent too much time waiting over there for Stephen to introduce me before it dawned on me that that was never going to happen.”</p><p>A very attractive woman with perfect brown curls had found her place next to Stephen, putting her hand on his chest to signify their involvement. She removed the hand to hold out to Tony.</p><p>“It’s a great pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stark. I wanted to be sure to thank you in person for all you do for our hospital.”</p><p>“Not necessary, miss…?”</p><p>“Christine Palmer. But again, so sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to say hello on my way to the bar.”</p><p>She could feel the tension radiating from Stephen, the same way Pepper could feel the anxiety coming from Tony.</p><p>“Can I get you anything?” Christine asked Stephen. His only reply was a short shake of his head.</p><p>“Mind if I join you?” Pepper asked. “I’m out myself,” she said, holding up her empty wine glass.</p><p>The two women left Tony and Stephen on their own again, on the outskirts of the party, to go make friends at the bar.</p><p>“Girlfriend?” Tony asked, jerking his head in Christine’s direction.</p><p>Stephen sighed. “Depends on who you ask.”</p><p>Tony’s smile ate right at Stephen, as he knew it would. “So not much has changed.”</p><p>“Oh, and it has with you? Are you going to try to tell me that your assistant isn’t getting on her kn-”</p><p>“Don’t you fucking dare.”</p><p>Tony’s voice had lowered to a threatening tone. He took a step towards Stephen to emphasize his point.</p><p>The surgeon was genuinely taken aback by that reaction.</p><p>“Say whatever you want about me. I know how you feel, and that’s fine. But you don’t know the first thing about Pepper, so don’t even think about saying something like that. Not about her.”</p><p>Stephen wasn’t sure he had ever seen Tony that angry before. “Fair enough,” he conceded.</p><p>Tony let out a breath and looked down at the floor. “Yeah. This was a bad idea. Got it.”</p><p>“Giving up that easy, Stark?”</p><p>Tony looked back up at Stephen. “Nothing has ever been easy with you.”</p><p>“It never stopped you before, if I remember correctly.”</p><p>“What do you want me to do?” Tony asked, inching still closer to Stephen. He stared straight into Stephen’s icy eyes. “You know I’ll do whatever you say.”</p><p>Stephen felt a shudder ripple down his entire body. The smirk on Tony’s lips told him the other man had noticed.</p><p>The brunette stuck his hands in his pockets as if this was the most casual conversation in the world.</p><p>“But, of course, I wouldn’t want to keep you from your not girlfriend.”</p><p>“If she ever heard me say that...”</p><p>Tony hummed. “Then let’s make sure she doesn’t hear you.”</p><p>The next thing Stephen knew, he was pressed up against the door of a nearby supply closet, pinned between the cool metal and Tony’s warm body. Their tongues slid together easily, as if they had done this just yesterday. Stephen’s hands found Tony’s hips as he rolled his own against the shorter man. Their growing erections brushed together, causing Stephen to groan into Tony’s mouth. Tony’s beard was scratching at his own clean shaven face; it was a new sensation, but it was only adding to Stephen’s arousal.</p><p>“Tell me to stop,” Tony almost hissed as he pulled his lips from Stephen’s. He left a burning trail of kisses across Stephen’s neck. “Push me away. Fucking hit me. Tell me to stop so you can go back to her.”</p><p>Stephen grabbed a fistful of Tony’s hair to keep him in place. “I don’t want her.”</p><p>“You didn’t want-”</p><p>Stephen shut him up with a hard kiss. He spun them around and slammed Tony up against the door with enough force that anyone on the other side would have definitely heard it.</p><p>He didn’t care.</p><p>“You’re free to leave at any time, Stark.”</p><p>Stephen felt the annoyance at the use of his last name flow through Tony’s body. It always got a rise out of him. Which is why Stephen had done it as often as he could.</p><p>“I’m not leaving again,” Tony said. He yanked at Stephen’s tie and undid the first few buttons of his dress shirt to mouth at the hollow of his throat. His hand then found its way to the bulge in Stephen’s pants. “I’m going to blow you. Show you that I haven’t forgotten exactly what you like, exactly how to make you come down my throat.”</p><p>Stephen let out a shaky breath while Tony unfastened his belt and zipper, dipping his hand under the elastic of his boxers to start slowly stroking his throbbing cock.</p><p>“I’m going to suck you dry,” Tony purred into Stephen’s ear.</p><p>Tony sank to his knees, and Stephen braced his body weight on his hands against the door.</p><p>The room was small, so the low watt bulb was able to illuminate the space enough for Stephen to see Tony pull his pants and underwear down to free his dick. He watched as the other man licked his lips and slid his hand down to the base before flicking his tongue out and circling around the head.</p><p>Tony looked up at Stephen through his long eyelashes, and that almost sent him right over the edge.</p><p>He sucked on the sensitive end of Stephen’s erection before popping off with an obscene sound. He removed his hand to let Stephen’s cock stand proudly on its own before ducking his head and licking from his balls all the way back to the head.</p><p>Stephen’s moan was all the encouragement he needed.</p><p>He encircled the shaft with his thumb and forefinger and took Stephen’s cock back into his mouth. He started to bob his head slowly, flattening his tongue as he took more and more each time he went down.</p><p>“Fucking hell,” Stephen exhaled. He leaned forward even more until his forehead was pressed against the door.</p><p>Tony kept up his slow torture long enough that Stephen had to drop a hand to Tony’s hair to tug on the chestnut locks. But that just made Tony pull off again. He started to slowly jerk his hand as his mouth wandered back down to Stephen’s balls.</p><p>He didn’t whine, not exactly, but it was close.</p><p>He wished he could wipe that smirk off of Tony’s face.</p><p>How did the guy with a dick in his mouth have all the power?</p><p>Stephen was reminded how when that mouth returned to his cock, sucking with much more force this time around. Tony twisted his hand around Stephen’s base and sucked especially hard at the head, and Stephen felt himself getting close.</p><p>And Tony, that bastard, he felt it too.</p><p>So he looked back up at Stephen, maintaining eye contact as he opened the back of his throat and took the entirety of Stephen’s cock until his nose was pressed into the mess of Stephen’s coarse pubic hair.</p><p>And he swallowed, his throat constricting around Stephen’s dick perfectly.</p><p>With a moan, Stephen spilled into Tony’s mouth. He thrust his hips against Tony’s face as he pulsed repeatedly, sending every last drop of come down Tony’s throat.</p><p>He closed his eyes as his vision blacked out at the edges. Tony kept sucking and licking until Stephen’s dick was clean of everything other than Tony’s spit.</p><p>Stephen’s shaking hand fell from Tony’s hair as he stood. He didn’t wait to catch his breath before surging forward and kissing Tony, groaning at the taste of himself in the genius’s mouth.</p><p>Tony had tucked him back into his pants and tidied him back up before he had even noticed. He had moved to open the door when Stephen grabbed his wrist and pushed him back with his hips.</p><p>“You may think I’m an asshole, but I don’t think you could ever say I was a selfish lover,” Stephen murmured against Tony’s neck as his hand wandered down between Tony’s legs.</p><p>Tony let out a short laugh. “Maybe I’m counting on this not being over just yet.” He caught Stephen’s hand and pulled it away. The taller man pulled back with a questioning look. “I’m going to go back to the party, fully hard, and when you can’t take it anymore, we’re going to go upstairs to my room. And you can do whatever you want to me.”</p><p>Stephen stared in awe. He didn’t need to check to know that Tony had just slipped a room key into his pocket. He let Tony slip from his grasp and leave the closet, needing a moment to compose himself.</p><p>He was both surprised and not at all at how quickly things had escalated in their first meeting in over a decade. There had always been overwhelming sexual tension between them, basically from the very beginning. But this was as if a match had been thrown into a canister of gasoline.</p><p>Stephen tried to decipher what Tony’s ultimate goal was here. To remind Stephen of what they had had? To make him get all hot and heavy, only to leave him stranded?</p><p>He ran through a few scenarios before deciding he simply didn’t care.</p><p>Seeing Tony had awoken feelings that he hadn’t felt since, and had known he would never feel again with anyone else.</p><p>That had been the whole problem.</p><p>He shook his head hard, as if that was going to clear his mind of his swirling thoughts. He straightened his tie and made sure his pants weren’t stained before exiting the closet as quietly as possible and making his way back to the gala.</p><p>His eyes found Tony immediately.</p><p>He was standing in a small circle of people, apparently telling a very funny story, if the laughter of his companions was anything to go by. A very tall, very beautiful blonde was hanging off his left arm, and Stephen felt the jealousy boil up immediately.</p><p>And the son of a bitch had the audacity to look up, meet his eyes, and wink.</p><p>He fucking winked.</p><p>Tony was well aware of Stephen’s jealous streak. And it appeared he was fully planning on utilizing that knowledge.</p><p>Stephen tried to make idle chit chat with his colleagues, but couldn’t keep his eyes off Tony for longer than roughly thirty seconds at a time. The breaking point came when he saw the blonde lean in and whisper in Tony’s ear as his hand started to travel dangerously low to the small of her back.</p><p>Stephen downed the last of his drink before all but slamming his now empty glass on the bar. He fixed his stare on Tony, suddenly not caring who may notice, until the other man finally looked back at him.</p><p>As soon as he had, Stephen walked with a purpose from the bar across the room towards the elevators. He made a point not to turn around, which resulted in him being caught off guard when he was shoved into the elevator as soon as the doors had opened.</p><p>He spun around in time for Tony to crowd him back up against the mirrored wall.</p><p>“You think you’re really fucking clever, don’t you?” Stephen growled. He grabbed Tony’s ass with both hands and yanked their bodies together just as soon as Tony had pressed the button for his floor.</p><p>“Did I strike a nerve, Doc?”</p><p>Stephen crashed their lips together in response. He licked into Tony’s mouth with a purpose, rolling their hips together and moaning at the feel of Tony’s hard cock in his pants.</p><p>“Was this your plan as soon as you saw me?” Stephen demanded. He bit across Tony’s jaw to his neck. “To get me all riled up so I would come up to your room and fuck you senseless?”</p><p>Tony gripped Stephen’s shoulder so tightly his knuckles turned white. “The thought occurred to me at one time or another.”</p><p>The door pinged open, and Stephen reluctantly released Tony in order to push him out of the elevator to be lead to his room. He didn’t notice that Tony’s hand was shaking so hard he had to swipe the card three times before the door finally opened. He was too busy kissing the back of Tony’s neck and rutting his rapidly hardening erection into Tony’s ass.</p><p>As soon as the door slammed shut behind them, Stephen had Tony against it. Their mouths burned together as they made out hungrily. Stephen wasted no time tearing at Tony’s clothes. He rid him of his jacket, tie and shirt before he began dragging him towards the bed.</p><p>The back of Stephen’s knees hit the edge of the mattress and he sat on it, welcoming Tony onto his lap. He began rolling his hips down onto Stephen’s as he pulled off Stephen’s jacket and shirt as well before pushing him back onto the mattress and kissing down his neck to his chest.</p><p>Stephen only allowed for a few seconds of that before he grabbed Tony’s hips and flipped them over. He made short work of their pants, sighing into an all out moan as their cocks pressed together through their boxers.</p><p>When Tony attempted to reach between them, Stephen grabbed his wrists and pinned them above Tony’s head.</p><p>“You had your fun,” Stephen pointed out.</p><p>He smirked in satisfaction when Tony left his hands there so Stephen could remove their underwear. He then slotted his leg between Tony’s and ground down, hard, relishing in the moan that came from the man underneath him.</p><p>Stephen wrapped his hand around Tony’s cock and gave it a firm tug.</p><p>“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” Stephen demanded.</p><p>Tony’s only response was a breathy pant.</p><p>Stephen reached over to the nightstand with his free hand, yanking the drawer open and digging around for what he needed. He finally withdrew the bottle of lube, and immediately noted that it was half empty.</p><p>Tony choked out a laugh at the expression on Stephen’s face.</p><p>“I haven’t been with another man since you,” he promised, sitting up enough so he could lick at Stephen’s throat. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t play with myself, wishing it was you.”</p><p>Stephen somehow managed to swallow down the moan before it escaped from his mouth.</p><p>He poured a generous amount onto his hand before he nudged Tony’s legs apart with his knee. He kept his eyes on the other man as he circled his rim with one finger, spreading the lube around easily. Stephen noted Tony was about to make a comment when he suddenly plunged two fingers deep into the tight heat of Tony’s body.</p><p>“Fuck,” Tony moaned loudly. “Fuck yes.”</p><p>Stephen watched as the playboy came apart in front of him. In the back of his mind, the doctor in him nagged that he should be using protection. This was Tony Stark, after all. But he knew, deep down, that the only person more careful about stuff like this than him was Tony.</p><p>And he didn’t want any barriers between them.</p><p>He buried his fingers into Tony up to his knuckles, scissoring his fingers apart steadily to open the other man up. When he added a third, he felt Tony’s legs start to shake against his own. He curled them a few more times before withdrawing them altogether, knowing without needing to ask that Tony was ready for him.</p><p>Stephen found himself staring down at Tony, suddenly unable to believe that this was real. That after all this time, he was about to have this man again.</p><p>Tony didn’t let him stare for long.</p><p>He sat up slowly, forcing Stephen to lean back until he was kneeling. Tony looped an arm around Stephen’s neck and pulled him forward so he could lick into his ear. Stephen shuddered before shoving Tony back down onto the pillows and grabbing his thighs to wrap them around his waist. He then moved his hands to Tony’s hips to guide his cock towards Tony’s hole, pressing forward until his tip came into contact with the tight ring of muscle.</p><p>“Tell me you want it.”</p><p>Tony looked up at Stephen, pupil’s blown wide with lust. Stephen couldn’t help but notice how much the body he was about to enter had changed since the last time they had done this. Tony’s chest and stomach were pure toned muscle, and his arms and thighs only matched that. His own frame was still mostly lean, but Tony didn’t seem to mind.</p><p>“Stephen, please,” Tony keened.</p><p>He moved his hips just enough for the head of his dick to slip into Tony before stopping. “Tell me you want it,” he repeated.</p><p>Tony Stark was the only human being who had ever been capable of eliciting this side of him. This demanding, dominant, rough persona that loved to fuck the other man into oblivion. That fact both terrified and elated Stephen.</p><p>“I want it,” Tony panted. “I want you. Please, please fuck me. You know I want it.”</p><p>Stephen obliged.</p><p>He set a brutal pace right from the beginning. He connected his hips with Tony’s with such force he was such there were going to be bruises on both sides later on. His balls slapped against Tony’s ass as he fucked into him hard and fast.</p><p>“Fuck, yes,” Tony all but screamed. “Harder, Stephen, come on. More.”</p><p>Stephen braced himself on one arm so he could use the other to firmly hold Tony’s hip and angle his strokes to hit directly against his prostate.</p><p>“Jesus Christ,” Tony swore. He bit into Stephen’s shoulder before soothing the spot with his tongue, mapping his way up to suck on his earlobe. “God, don’t fucking stop.”</p><p>“You feel so good,” Stephen praised. “Always so fucking good for me.”</p><p>The heat between their bodies built steadily until sweat was dripping from both of them. Stephen released Tony’s hip to slid his hand between them and start stroking Tony’s aching cock in time with his thrusts.</p><p>“Are you going to come for me?” Stephen asked. He pressed his forehead against Tony’s. “Open your eyes. Look at me.”</p><p>Tony did as he was told.</p><p>“Are you going to come for me?” he asked again.</p><p>Tony tried to nod, but another sure hit to his prostate stopped the motion and instead drew a long moan from his lungs.</p><p>“Yes,” he promised. “Fuck. Yes Stephen, I’m going to come. I’m so fucking close.”</p><p>Stephen dragged his cock in and out of Tony relentlessly. He rubbed his thumb over the head of Tony’s cock several times before driving his blunt nail into the slit.</p><p>“Come.”</p><p>Tony did with a scream of Stephen’s name.</p><p>He managed to cross his ankles to keep his legs around Stephen’s waist as he continued to thrust into Tony’s body. As soon as he had taken a few breaths, he scraped his nails down Stephen’s back and moaned again.</p><p>“You fucking ruin me, Stephen. You love to do that, don’t you?”</p><p>Stephen’s head fell to Tony’s chest as his hips started to stutter out of his control.</p><p>“Come inside me, baby,” Tony whined.</p><p>Stephen’s second orgasm of the night ripped through his body as suddenly as the first one had. His hips moved on their own accord as he emptied his cock deep into Tony’s channel. When they finally stilled, he took three deep breaths before pulling out and turning to his right to collapse on the bed.</p><p>Stephen kept his eyes trained on the ceiling above him. He pretended he didn’t hear the almost panicked breaths coming from the man laying beside him. He pretended not to see Tony press his palms into his eyes before tugging his hair in his hands.</p><p>But when Tony dropped his hands back to his sides, Stephen reached out and took his left into his right.</p><p>He thought at first Tony was going to pull it away, but he didn’t.</p><p>Stephen intertwined their fingers and took another deep breath.</p><p>***</p><p>They didn’t hate each other, but they didn’t get along, either.</p><p>The only time they spent together at first was because of their shared mutual friends.</p><p>Stephen didn’t care for Tony’s big personality, and Tony didn’t care for Stephen always acting like, as he put it, “a wet blanket.”</p><p>But because they were always hanging out in a group of other people, they were able to ignore each other for the most part. They frequented the same bar between Harvard and MIT, but as his freshman year was coming to a close, Stephen couldn’t even remember the last time he had interacted with Tony directly.</p><p>Which was fine by him, really. He hated that the older young man was always so talkative. He hated how he was almost always drunk or high when Stephen saw him, and yet he was already on his way to earning his second PhD despite only being two years older than Stephen.</p><p>But now, a few weeks into his second year, Stephen found himself back at the usual bar, along with Tony and his friends. Stephen had been listening to his friend Kelly recounting her summer adventures when she brightened up upon seeing Tony enter the bar.</p><p>“Tony!” she called.</p><p>Stephen rolled his eyes. Kelly was on the long list of girls who couldn’t wait to sleep with Tony.</p><p>“Hey,” Tony replied politely enough, stopping at their table with his friends Rhodey and Happy in tow.</p><p>“I saw you at the Special Olympics last weekend, but didn’t get a chance to say hi,” Kelly flirted.</p><p>Before Tony could reply, Stephen was scoffing. “You never miss a chance at a good photo op, do you Stark?”</p><p>Tony raised an eyebrow and turned to Stephen, but was beaten to his own defense by Rhodey.</p><p>“Well, it only made sense for him to go. Seeing as how he’s volunteered there since he was, what, sixteen, Tones? Oh, and due to the fact that they were going to cut a bunch of the events due to a funding issue until Tony gave them the money they needed. Or the photo op. Whichever.”</p><p>Stephen felt about one inch tall.</p><p>He ignored the glare from Kelly as Tony and his friends made their way over to their own table. As his friends decided they were going to head out to the next spot, Stephen opted to stay behind. He waited for Tony to head up to the bar to order drinks before approaching him.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Stephen admitted, getting Tony’s attention. “That was a cheap shot.”</p><p>“That seems to be your favorite kind of shot.”</p><p>Stephen fought to keep from rolling his eyes. “I guess it’s just my natural reaction around you.”</p><p>Tony smirked. “Yeah. I noticed.”</p><p>Stephen huffed. “I am sorry. That was really nice of you to do that, and to volunteer there all the time. I don’t know. I guess I just took a swing at you before you went after me.”</p><p>Tony frowned. “When have I ever gone after you when you didn’t start it?”</p><p>“How much time do you have?”</p><p>“Not enough, probably,” Tony said with a laugh. He grabbed the two pitchers of beer that had been produced for him before turning back to Stephen. “Do you want to play trivia with us?”</p><p>Stephen stared blankly for several seconds. “I’m sorry?”</p><p>“Yeah, you said that. Apology accepted. Do you want to play trivia with us?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Did I suddenly slip into speaking Italian?” Stephen kept giving him a dumbfounded look. “I do that sometimes. Drives Rhodey nuts.” Tony smiled at Stephen’s expression. “We can have up to four players. We always play with three, but I assume you’re smart if you go to Harvard.”</p><p>“Uh,” Stephen stuttered. “Sure.”</p><p>Wait. Why did he just agree to play trivia with Tony Stark?</p><p>He awkwardly followed him over to the table where they joined Rhodey and Happy. The former gave him a warning look, which he took seriously.</p><p>Stephen sat quietly during the first few questions, despite knowing all of the answers. The others had known them already, anyway. He was considering just getting up and leaving when the next question caught his attention.</p><p>“<em>Which British 1980’s pop group took their name from a mad scientist in the movie Barbarella?”</em></p><p>Tony looked between Happy and Rhodey. “What the hell is Barbarella?”</p><p>“A movie from the 60’s with Jane Fonda,” Stephen answered automatically. Tony turned to him with an eyebrow cocked. “The answer is Duran Duran.”</p><p>Tony smirked. “So music is your thing, yeah?”</p><p>Stephen shrugged. “I guess so.”</p><p>In between games, Rhodey went to the bar for refills on the pitchers while Happy took a bathroom break, leaving Stephen and Tony alone at the table. Just as the silence was starting to get tangible, Stephen heard another group of guys loudly approaching them.</p><p>“Look who’s here! Oliver!”</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes. Hard.</p><p>“How was your summer, Oliver? Lots of yachts and cocaine?”</p><p>Stephen looked between the very loud and very drunk guy and Tony.</p><p>“That’s about the long and the short of it,” Tony muttered.</p><p>“You’re never any fun, Oliver.”</p><p>Stephen watched as the unidentified male made his way to the bar for more alcohol he definitely didn’t need before looking back at Tony.</p><p>“Oliver?” he asked.</p><p>“Twist,” came Tony’s reply. Stephen frowned in confusion. “Orphan,” Tony supplied.</p><p>“Oh,” Stephen realized. “Well...that’s fucked up.”</p><p>Tony breathed a laugh. “I’ve been called worse. At least it’s factually accurate.”</p><p>Stephen was trying to come up with a response when he was saved by Rhodey returning.</p><p>“Was Hammer giving you a hard time again?” he demanded.</p><p>Tony shrugged. “Not worse than Strange here did earlier, and we’re letting him play with us, so I think we can let Hammer slide too.”</p><p>Rhodey didn’t look happy about it, but he let it go.</p><p>An hour or so later, the trivia games had wrapped up and everyone was getting ready to head home for the night. It was a Thursday, after all, and Stephen for one had classes the next day.</p><p>He saw Tony at the bar, waiting to close out the tab. He walked up to him and pulled a twenty from his pocket and tried to hand it over.</p><p>“I don’t like being handed things,” Tony commented.</p><p>“Neither do I,” Stephen agreed. “I can pay for my own drinks.”</p><p>“Don’t have to,” Tony said. He accepted the receipt and his card back from the bartender, scribbling his signature after tipping generously.</p><p>“I’m serious,” Stephen continued. “Just take it.”</p><p>“Nope. You’re not old enough to buy alcohol. I’m not going to be a party to you committing a crime.” Tony didn’t look up at him as he put his card back into his wallet, which itself was probably worth a month of Stephen’s rent.</p><p>Stephen was annoyed, and he let it get the better of him. “Can’t help but throw daddy’s money around, huh?”</p><p>Tony looked up at him quickly. “What was that?”</p><p>“You heard me,” Stephen doubled down. He had drank just a bit too much, and Tony’s arrogance always seemed to rub off on him.</p><p>Tony laughed humorlessly. “That pisses you off, does it?” he challenged. “Well, let me tell you, I’m sure it pissed Howard off even more that he had to leave everything to a son he never wanted. A son he didn’t even like, never mind love. So if I want to spend <b>his</b> money buying my friends some beer, then I will, because at least that would have made him proud."</p><p>At this point, Stephen assumed he was just never going to learn to keep his mouth shut.</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen looked over at the man lying next to him.</p><p>A million different things were racing through his mind.</p><p>There was so much he wanted to say. He had wanted to reach out so many times. He had always hoped sending the checks would have gotten Tony’s attention.</p><p>And now that Tony was back within arms reach, all he could do was watch him breathe.</p><p>***</p><p>For the next twelve plus years, Stephen would wonder if anything would have ever happened between him and Tony if he hadn’t gotten into his car that night.</p><p>But he did, so there really wasn’t any use wondering.</p><p>It was roughly two weeks after the night Stephen had played trivia with Tony and his friends. They hadn’t seen each other since. So, naturally, as Stephen was rushing to get back to his apartment through the pouring rain, he was stopped in his tracks by someone calling out to him.</p><p>“Hey! Strange!”</p><p>It was raining so hard Stephen had barely heard it. He looked to his left and saw the silver Audi pulled up to the curb with the passenger side window rolled down. Tony was leaning across to yell out to him.</p><p>Stephen stared at him, his hair sticking to his head, water soaked through his sweatshirt and jeans.</p><p>“Need a ride?”</p><p>Stephen was almost sure that Tony was planning to drive away if he even tried to get close to his car. Payback for having been such a dick to him before. But he was freezing, and tired, and just wanted to get home and into bed. Which was another twelve blocks away, at least.</p><p>So he just walked slowly over to Tony’s car, expecting him to peel out. But he didn’t. He leaned further across to open the door for Stephen, who climbed in without a word. Tony rolled the window up before turning the heat on.</p><p>They sat there in silence for a few seconds before Tony smiled softly.</p><p>“Wanna tell me where you live?” he prompted. “I know I’m a genius, but I need to cheat on this one.”</p><p>Oh, god. Stephen was going to have to tell him where he lived.</p><p>His tiny studio apartment in a less than desirable neighborhood. Because it was cheaper than living on campus, and it showed. And Tony was going to realize it as soon as he saw it.</p><p>Stephen mumbled the directions to his apartment without ever even thanking Tony for stopping for him. He stared straight ahead as Tony drove, cursing himself as he noticed the rain was letting up. He should have just kept walking.</p><p>He groaned audibly when he saw the flashing blue lights outside of his building as Tony had to come to a stop half a block away when they reached the caution tape.</p><p>“Not again,” he muttered.</p><p>Tony looked over at him. “What’s going on?”</p><p>Stephen didn’t answer. He rolled down his window and called over to the nearby officer. “Can I get in? I live there.”</p><p>“Which floor?”</p><p>“Third.”</p><p>“You lucked out, kid. Water line broke on the second floor, flooded it and the first. But you can’t get up there until tomorrow morning, earliest. Sorry.”</p><p>Stephen grabbed his bag from the floor. “Thanks for the ride,” he said to Tony before trying to get out of the car, but Tony hit the button to shutter the lock into place.</p><p>Stephen finally looked at him.</p><p>“Where are you going to go?” Tony wanted to know.</p><p>“I’ll figure something out,” Stephen sighed.</p><p>“Figure what out? It’s past midnight on a Saturday. Everyone you know is either asleep or drunk right now.”</p><p>“I’ll be fine,” Stephen huffed, reaching again for the door handle.</p><p>“Just stay with me,” Tony said. Stephen felt his eyebrows come together in response to that. “Rhodey is at ROTC for the weekend,” he offered. “I don’t live all that far from here. You can have his bed, he won’t care.” Stephen gave him an unimpressed look. “He won’t care if he doesn’t know.”</p><p>Stephen felt a smirk tugging at his lips. “I’ll be fine,” he repeated.</p><p>“I’m not letting you wander the streets all night.”</p><p>“What do you care?”</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes. “Grow up, would you? Do you really hate me that much that you won’t even stay at my place for one night instead of having nowhere else to go?”</p><p>Stephen dropped his eyes to his slightly shaking hands settled in his lap. “I don’t hate you,” he said softly.</p><p>“Could have fooled me,” Tony said with a forced laugh. He shook his head slowly. “Just trust me, okay? Would that be the worst thing in the world?”</p><p>Stephen looked up at him. “No,” he answered. “It wouldn’t. Thanks.”</p><p>Tony nodded once before turning the car around to drove to his apartment.</p><p>Which was an understatement. Townhouse was much more accurate.</p><p>It was located in a quiet neighborhood. Tony pulled his car to a stop right outside and got out without any hesitation towards leaving his car on the street overnight. Stephen followed him up the front steps and waited while Tony unlocked the door and held it open for Stephen to enter.</p><p>The entryway was littered with a few pairs of running shoes and had several jackets hung on the rack on the wall. It lead to the kitchen and living room, which was clearly occupied by two college aged young men. It wasn’t dirty, but there were books, clothes, and other various items strewn about. A short hallway lead to what Stephen assumed were the bedrooms.</p><p>Stephen dropped his still very wet backpack to the floor, sure to keep it on the mat and not the hardwood. He toed off his shoes as he had seen Tony do before trying to jam his hands into the pockets of his jeans to try and quash his sudden anxiety.</p><p>“Come on,” Tony said, jerking his head towards the actual interior of the apartment.</p><p>Stephen followed him out of curiosity. Tony lead him to the back of the apartment and into what Stephen immediately recognized as Tony’s bedroom. There was an impressive computer with several monitors on his desk in the corner. Sketches and equations covered the pages of notebook paper that seemed to be everywhere, but in a way that appeared to be actually organized. Tony went over to his dresser and opened a couple of drawers before returning to stand in front of Stephen.</p><p>“Here,” he said, handing the bundle of clothes to the other. “Not sure they’ll actually fit you, but they should be comfortable enough.”</p><p>Stephen looked down at the sweatpants, t shirt, boxers and socks Tony had handed him.</p><p>“It’s all clean, I swear. Bathroom is there.” Tony pointed to the door on the left side of the bed. “The towels on the rack are also clean.” Stephen glanced back up at him. “Rhodey takes all of his shower stuff with him when he goes to training. Just easier to use mine.”</p><p>Tony went to move past Stephen and leave the room.</p><p>“Thank you,” Stephen said suddenly. Tony turned back to look at him. “For this, and letting me stay here. I appreciate it.”</p><p>Tony smiled genuinely. “No problem.”</p><p>Stephen sighed at how fantastic the hot water of the shower felt. He wanted to stay in there forever, but figured that would have been rather awkward. So he reluctantly got out and dressed in the clothes Tony had given him. They were, in fact, on the small side, but would definitely do. Especially since they were so soft and warm.</p><p>He retreated from the bedroom and back into the living room with his wet clothes in his arms. Before he could ask for a plastic bag to stick them in, Tony was getting off the couch and crossing the room, taking the clothes from him.</p><p>“I can throw these in the dryer for you,” Tony said as he went into the kitchen and opened the door for the closet. He did just that, leaving Stephen to stand there in silence.</p><p>When Tony returned, he patted Stephen on the shoulder gently. “Sit down or something, you’re making me nervous.”</p><p>Stephen breathed a laugh and followed Tony over to the couch. They sat about an arm’s length away, which would prove to be rather useful in the coming moments.</p><p>Tony turned the tv on and began flipping through the channels as if they were old friends and this wasn’t the first time they had ever spent time just the two of them together. Stephen couldn’t take it.</p><p>“I’m sorry for what I said at the bar,” he blurted.</p><p>Tony nodded slightly. “I know.”</p><p>“What do you mean, you know?”</p><p>Tony shrugged, still looking at the tv. “Despite your best efforts, you’re not an actual asshole. You play defense more than anything else. You may not like me, but you’re not a total dick.”</p><p>“It’s not that I don’t like you,” Stephen admitted. “I just...I don’t know.”</p><p>“I get it,” Tony sighed, finally looking over at him. “Most people don’t like me. It’s fine.”</p><p>“I said that wasn’t it.”</p><p>“Then what is it?”</p><p>“You’re too much like me,” Stephen said before he even knew he was going to. Tony cocked an eyebrow in that way he always did. “People usually don’t go back and forth with me like you do. I guess I just didn’t know how to handle it.”</p><p>Tony smirked. “I’m too much for you, huh?”</p><p>Stephen felt his cheeks heat up, and he tried to play it off with his own smirk. “Go fuck yourself.”</p><p>Tony didn’t miss a beat. “Why don’t you do it?”</p><p>Stephen was sure he had misunderstood. “Do what?”</p><p>“Fuck me.”</p><p>Stephen couldn’t remember a time his mouth had even been this dry. Or a time his cock was so suddenly twitching to attention.</p><p>“Don’t be a dick, Stark,” he tried to dismiss. Tony just kept smirking at him. “You’re playing with fire,” he said, voice suddenly very low.</p><p>“That’s what I’m counting on,” Tony promised.</p><p>Stephen moved closer without any recollection of intending to. He could feel the confidence radiating from Tony into himself. He had always had that affect, and Stephen was now starting to realize that their snark towards one another was actually misplaced chemistry.</p><p>He knew he was out of his league with Tony Stark. He was only nineteen, with very limited experience in general, never mind with other men. He hadn’t even known Tony was into that, but looking into his eyes right now, he could see he wasn’t messing around.</p><p>He was serious. He wanted this.</p><p>And so did Stephen.</p><p>“So this was all just foreplay for you?”</p><p>Tony’s eyes were transfixed on Stephen. “I’ll go back and forth with you all night. But I can think of at least two better things I could be doing with my mouth.”</p><p>Stephen very much wanted to find out if Tony could back that statement up.</p><p>So he slid the rest of the way across the couch and crashed his lips against Tony’s.</p><p>Stephen’s hands found their way into Tony’s hair almost instantly as he felt the shorter man sliding their tongues together. The heat and electricity was evident right from the start, and they were both wondering how they hadn’t done this sooner. Tony ran a hand up and down Stephen’s thigh while the other pulled at his shirt until he could slip under the fabric. Stephen felt goosebumps break out over his skin as Tony’s calloused fingers started mapping his chest.</p><p>They kissed hungrily, tongues battling for dominance as they tugged at each other everywhere they could reach. Stephen moved his hands down Tony’s body to grip his hips and assert more control. Blood rushed to his rapidly hardening cock upon the realization that Tony was letting him take over.</p><p>Stephen was now mostly over Tony, kissing him so hard he was pinned against the back of the couch. Tony managed to slot his leg between Stephen’s and press it forward to cause enough friction to draw a moan out of Stephen.</p><p>Tony broke the seal of their lips to mouth at Stephen’s neck. His hand found Stephen’s left nipple, and his clever fingers quickly twisted it into a hard nub. Tony moved across his chest to do the same to the other as he licked across the curve of Stephen’s jaw. When he had to pull away for air, he moved back enough to be able to look up into Stephen’s eyes.</p><p>“Are you okay with this?” he asked.</p><p>Stephen’s brain was focused elsewhere at the moment and didn’t quite understand what Tony meant.</p><p>“The couch? Yeah, yeah, it’s fine.”</p><p>Tony exhaled a short laugh. “No, I mean this in general. I know I baited you, and I’ve definitely thought about this, but I’m not...I’m not trying to pressure you. That wasn’t my plan when I asked you to stay here tonight."</p><p>Stephen had to take a couple deep breaths to compute what was happening. Tony Stark, legendary playboy, was concerned and checking on Stephen’s consent.</p><p>“I want this,” Stephen assured, rolling his hips forward into Tony’s to show him the evidence. “I’m glad you baited me, I want this to happen.”</p><p>Tony was very turned on, but he could still see the clarity in Stephen’s eyes, despite it being mixed with his own arousal. Before he knew it, Stephen was kissing him again, with the same intensity as before. Tony then made the executive decision to push Stephen to his feet and move to the bedroom before they ended up naked on the couch and he had to explain the new stains to Rhodey.</p><p>He managed to rid Stephen of his t shirt and stripped off his own so they could press chest to chest. The heat was almost too much, but Tony needed more at the same time. He rutted his hips against Stephen’s, but the confines of his jeans was proving to be such a hassle.</p><p>Luckily, Stephen was in agreement on that front and made short work of them for Tony. He pushed them down to Tony’s thighs so he could shuck them off just before they fell onto the bed. Tony happily straddled Stephen while they made out, teasing his hands along the waistband of his boxers.</p><p>“What do you want?” Tony purred against Stephen’s lips.</p><p>Stephen shuddered with desire. “Everything.”</p><p>Tony pulled back and grinned. “I can do everything.”</p><p>Stephen watched as Tony started kissing across his chest, sucking on his already hard nipples and leaving no inch of skin untouched by his lips and tongue. His hand found it’s way to the bulge between Stephen’s legs and he squeezed firmly, loving that it made Stephen lift his hips off the mattress. Tony decided that he was too eager for any teasing at this point.</p><p>He kept kissing down Stephen’s lithe body, but shifted so he could hook both thumbs into the elastic of Stephen’s boxers and pull them down and off, along with his sweatpants. Stephen’s long erection sprang free, and Tony pulled back.</p><p>Stephen was sure he would have felt way too vulnerable if he had had any time to. But Tony wasted no time in firmly grasping Stephen’s base and flicking his tongue out to taste the pre cum already leaking from the head. Stephen let out a shaky breath and gripped the quilt underneath him so tightly his knuckles turned white. He watched through hooded eyes as the man between his legs slowly licked his cock from the base to the tip before sucking the tip into his mouth and looking up to meet Stephen’s eyes.</p><p>Yeah. They should have done this a long, long time ago.</p><p>Tony worked him up and down with a god damn purpose. He flattened his tongue and hollowed his cheeks, using a perfect amount of suction in combination with his hand simultaneously jacking Stephen’s dick. The sounds coming from Tony’s wet mouth was nothing short of obscene.</p><p>Stephen’s breaths were coming in pants as he watched Tony palm at his own erection.</p><p>“Take them off,” he tried to command, but his voice wasn’t as stable as he had hoped.</p><p>Tony moaned around Stephen’s dick in his mouth and somehow managed to push his boxers down to his knees so he could wrap his free hand around his own aching cock. He started to stroke himself slowly, never taking his eyes off Stephen.</p><p>“Fuck,” Stephen breathed. His hand flew to Tony’s hair as the other man continued to suck him down effortlessly.</p><p>Stephen tugged on Tony’s hair and shoulder until he started moving back up towards him. Stephen used the moment Tony was trying to catch his breath to flip them over, pinning him down onto the bed. He pulled Tony’s boxers the rest of the way off and threw them to the floor before settling back over him, lining their hips up, and sliding their cocks together.</p><p>“Fuck that feels good,” Tony swore as he repeatedly lifted his hips up to meet Stephen’s.</p><p>Tony began reaching towards his nightstand, where he was able to retrieve a bottle of lube after asserting some effort. He dropped it on the bed next to them so he could turn his attention back to Stephen. He sucked his tongue into his mouth and pulled down on his hips to increase the pressure. Stephen moaned, and Tony took that opportunity to trap the other’s bottom lip between his teeth for a few seconds before releasing it and soothing over it with his tongue.</p><p>Tony kissed back across Stephen’s jaw so he could position his mouth to breathe in his ear.</p><p>“How do you want me?”</p><p>Stephen bit his lip as he groaned at Tony’s words. His brain felt like it was about to short circuit with too much input, too much pleasure already.</p><p>“Just like this,” Stephen finally answered. Tony fell away from him enough so that he could grab the bottle and shift up onto his knees. “I want to see you.”</p><p>Tony planted his feet on the mattress and spread his legs as wide as he could. He looked up at Stephen expectantly.</p><p>Stephen hesitated for a few seconds, but once he drank in Tony’s body spread out for him, he forgot all about his anxiety. He forgot about his inexperience and his nervousness. He focused on the heat coming from the man under him and let that further fuel his desire.</p><p>He poured a generous amount of lube onto his hand before reaching down between Tony’s legs. He tried to swallow, but there was no moisture in his mouth or throat. He spread the lube around before pressing forward with one finger to breach the tight ring of muscle.</p><p>Stephen watched as Tony’s eyes went wide. He pumped his finger slowly in and out a few times before Tony almost sighed.</p><p>“Give me more,” he pleaded. “Come on, Stephen.”</p><p>Okay, so apparently, Stephen liked it when Tony begged.</p><p>His cock jumped at his name falling from Tony’s lips like that. He added a second finger with no hesitation this time. He scissored them apart carefully as he moved them in and out of Tony’s body.</p><p>By the time he was pushing three fingers inside, Tony had to grasp the base of his cock to keep from coming. He reached up with his other hand to gran Stephen by the back of his neck and kiss him dirtily.</p><p>“God, Stephen,” he moaned into the younger’s mouth. “Fuck me. Now.”</p><p>Stephen couldn’t argue with that.</p><p>He slicked up his aching cock with more lube before grabbing it near the head and pressing it against Tony’s entrance. He braced himself on either side of Tony’s torso and took a shuddering breath.</p><p>Stephen pushed forward steadily, moaning loudly at the intense heat that began to envelop his dick. He slowed when he started to feel resistance, but Tony didn’t agree with that.</p><p>“Deeper,” he pleaded. “Stephen, please, I want all of it.”</p><p>Stephen’s hips jerked forward on their own accord, and he bottomed out, his balls slapping lightly against Tony’s ass.</p><p>“Fuck,” Tony hissed.</p><p>Stephen pulled out halfway before sliding back in. He repeated that a few times before Tony’s hands were in his still damp hair, tugging him down and forcing eye contact.</p><p>“Fuck. Me.”</p><p>Stephen was convinced that nothing would ever be hotter than Tony Stark making that demand.</p><p>So he obliged.</p><p>His movements weren’t exactly controlled or precise, but they were getting the desired reaction out of the other man. Tony was panting and moaning with each stroke, thrusting his own hips up to meet Stephen’s enthusiastically. He kept a tight grip in Stephen’s hair so he could slide their tongues together as Stephen fucked into him hard and fast.</p><p>“You feel incredible,” Stephen praised. “God you’re so tight.”</p><p>One of Tony’s hands fell from his hair to slip between their bodies. Stephen moved back enough so he could look down and watch as Tony started to stroke his weeping cock in time with Stephen’s dick pounding into him.</p><p>“Don’t fucking stop,” Tony moaned. “Make me come, Stephen.”</p><p>Stephen sucked at the junction of Tony’s neck and shoulder as hard as he could. He changed the angle of his hips and felt the tip of his cock stroke against the bundle of nerves deep in Tony’s body.</p><p>“Fuck!” Tony screamed. “Fucking hell, yes Stephen yes!”</p><p>Stephen kept his thrusts shallow, but hard with repeated sure hits to Tony’s prostate.</p><p>“Fuck Tony I’m close,” Stephen whined. “I’m so close.”</p><p>“Come,” Tony ordered. “Fucking come.”</p><p>Stephen’s hips stuttered as he came into Tony’s hot channel. He ground into him more than anything as his orgasm ripped through him. He moaned as his vision blacked out at the edges. He just barely registered Tony’s back arching off the bed as he came into his own hand.</p><p>The only sound in the room was their combined breathing, coming in shuddering pants as they came down from their highs.</p><p>Stephen got control of himself a bit sooner than Tony, so he was able to pull out of the other man before things got too uncomfortable. He didn’t move far, however. Tony’s arms were still securely around him. He found that he didn’t mind in the least.</p><p>Tony slowly opened his eyes. He loosened his grip on Stephen gradually as he got his breathing under control. They stayed that way for several minutes, still pressed together in a sticky mess.</p><p>Just as Stephen thought he was going to be crushed under the weight of the settling silence, Tony brushed their lips together softly.</p><p>“I think you need another shower,” he all but whispered.</p><p>Stephen vehemently agreed.</p><p>He found himself back in Tony’s shower, but with company this time. They were both still shaking slightly from their release, but were no less engaged because of it. As soon as the water was hot enough Tony was pulling him under the spray, tangling their tongues together as their hands wandered across their heated skin.</p><p>Stephen felt the energy from Tony all but flowing into himself. He realized that that’s where his sudden courage back on the couch had come from. Tony was invigorating. He managed to make Stephen feel sure of himself in a way he never had before, despite them hardly knowing each other.</p><p>It was damn near intoxicating to have Tony Stark grinding up against him as they kissed madly in the shower.</p><p>Stephen let out a breath as Tony broke away to kiss down his neck and mouth across his collarbones. He looked down to see Tony’s still half hard cock pressing against his thigh, with his own beginning to show interest in their continued activities. He moaned in an almost whine when he noticed his come slowly running down the insides of Tony’s thighs.</p><p>“Too much for you?”</p><p>Stephen could hear the taunting in Tony’s voice. He took half a step back so he could look slightly down at the shorter man. Water was clinging to his eyelashes, droplets littered across his forehead, cheeks and lips.</p><p>“I am in no way done with you yet.”</p><p>Tony’s retort was stopped by Stephen kissing him deeply.</p><p>Their slippery bodies moved deliciously against each other. Their erections, now at full attention, slid together with the perfect amount of friction. Stephen grabbed Tony’s hips and maneuvered him against the wall, pressing him up against the cold tile and earning a gasp for his efforts.</p><p>Stephen bent his head to suck at the mark he had left on Tony’s shoulder earlier while the other man wrapped his hand around their throbbing cocks to stroke them together.</p><p>“God, you have such a great dick,” Tony exhaled. “I love it when I’m right.”</p><p>Stephen wasn’t sure if it was what he had said, or Tony’s voice in general, but something came over him. He seized Tony’s hands in his own, forcing their fingers to lace together as he raised them over their heads and pinned them against the wall. He rolled his hips forward into Tony as hard as he could, rutting their cocks together from the base. He felt Tony wrap a leg around his calf as he did his best to push forward against Stephen.</p><p>It wasn’t long before Tony’s head snapped back, banging into the tile as he came with another moan of Stephen’s name.</p><p>Stephen followed a few moments later, trying to watch as their come mixed together on their stomachs, but he couldn’t quite keep his eyes open the whole time. He released Tony’s hands and sighed when they ended up on his biceps.</p><p>Tony had the wherewithal to shift them just enough to that the flowing water seeped between them, washing their bodies clean of their spend. He nudged Stephen’s cheek with his nose until he opened his eyes and looked at him.</p><p>Tony laughed softly, but Stephen was sure that was one of the best sounds he had ever heard.</p><p>He didn’t really remember getting out of the shower, or putting Tony’s boxers and t shirt back on. He wasn’t all that aware of being gently tugged back down onto the bed and tucked into the sheets. He vaguely recognized that the blanket now wrapped around him was not the one they had just had sex on; this one was clean, and very soft, and smelled like he now knew Tony smelled.</p><p>The last thing he did remember was staring into deep brown eyes.</p><p>“Go to sleep,” Tony prompted gently. “Close your eyes.”</p><p>Stephen wasn’t sure when, but he did.</p><p>***</p><p>Tony tried to take a deep breath, but it stuttered in his chest. His entire body was trembling, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up next to Stephen under the blankets and go to sleep feeling warm and safe.</p><p>He knew that was never going to happen.</p><p>That had been rare, even at their best.</p><p>He hated that he had given in so easily. He thought after all this time he would be able to contain himself, but he could never stop himself from surrendering to the other man.</p><p>That was their entire thing.</p><p>Tony loved that he could give up around Stephen. He had been sure that if something wasn’t his to control, then he couldn’t mess it up and it wouldn’t go wrong.</p><p>Stephen loved that Tony had wanted to give that to him. That he could feed off his energy and become a stronger, more confident version of himself. He had been addicted to the way Tony had made him feel. That addiction hadn’t gone away.</p><p>As he continued to stare up at the ceiling, Tony felt his heart fluttering and his breathing faltering. He chewed the inside of his cheek and willed himself not to break down. Not again. Not after all this time.</p><p>“It was never my intention to hurt you.”</p><p>Tony would have laughed if he had had enough air in his lungs. Instead, Stephen’s words were met with a short, choked breath.</p><p>“You knew exactly what you were doing. You always have.”</p><p>Stephen brushed his thumb over the back of Tony’s hand. “Tony.” He received no response. “Look at me. Please.”</p><p>This time, Tony’s laugh made it out of his lungs.</p><p>“No,” he decided.</p><p>“Tony.”</p><p>“I hate watching you lie to me,” Tony muttered. “You’re so fucking good at it.”</p><p>“I don’t want to lie to you.”</p><p>“But you’re going to.”</p><p>Stephen didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He knew what he wanted to do, but he knew he didn’t deserve it.</p><p>“Not anymore. I promise.”</p><p>Stephen watched as Tony’s eyes closed. The tears that had built up didn’t escape, but they instead gathered on his eyelashes. Stephen was reminded of the first night they had been together, in the shower, getting into something they never should have.</p><p>“I think it would have been easier if you had been like Ty.”</p><p>It felt as if Tony had suddenly stuck a steel knife in his windpipe.</p><p>Stephen swallowed as best he could. “You don’t mean that.” Tony was impossibly still next to him. Stephen released his hand and sat up. “You can’t mean that.”</p><p>Tony finally opened his eyes to look at Stephen. “It would have hurt a hell of a lot less.”</p><p>The sincerity Stephen saw on Tony’s face was devastating. He stared down into those brown eyes, seeing the gravity of what he had done reflected in them.</p><p>He knew that if he leaned down and kissed him, Tony would allow it. He knew he could climb back on top of him and do whatever he wanted, without a word of protest. He knew that, because he had broken the other man a long, long time ago.</p><p>Even though he hadn’t wanted to.</p><p>Stephen did the only thing he thought he could without hurting Tony any more.</p><p>He turned away and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He scrubbed his hand over his face to keep the tears at bay before collecting his scattered clothes, redressing one piece at a time. He shrugged his jacket on just before reaching for the door.</p><p>Stephen kept it from slamming behind him. He wasn’t angry. He didn’t feel much of anything, at the moment. Numbness had taken over as he started to walk towards the elevator.</p><p>But he didn’t make it. Instead, he diverted to the left, stumbling through the door to the stairwell. He fell to the side into the corner and slowly slid down until he was sitting on the dusty floor, his knees hugged to his chest.</p><p>Stephen Strange buried his face in his hands as the sobs wracked his body.</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen woke up slowly. His body protested the entire time. He felt almost hungover, but without the headache or nausea. Everything was tired and a bit sore, but in such a satisfying way. He was reminded of why when he opened his eyes and realized he was still in Tony’s bedroom.</p><p>But Tony wasn’t on the other side of the bed anymore.</p><p>The memories from the night before flooded through Stephen’s mind. He groaned, his dick half hard. He took a few deep breaths and waited for it to subside before rolling onto his back. He glanced around until he finally saw Tony’s alarm clock. 8:11 am.</p><p>Stephen got out of the warm bed reluctantly to pull on Tony’s sweatpants that had been discarded on the floor beside the bed. As he became more alert, he noted clanging coming from the kitchen. He went into the bathroom to splash cold water on his face and took a swig from Tony’s mouthwash before making his way out of the bedroom.</p><p>Tony’s back was to him as he entered the kitchen. The other man was washing the dishes that had been discarded in the sink. Stephen stood silently for a few seconds, contemplating his chances of bolting out unnoticed altogether when Tony finally turned around.</p><p>“Morning,” he greeted with a smile. “Did I wake you up?”</p><p>“Uh, no, I don’t think so,” Stephen replied.</p><p>“If I don’t clean this place in the morning, I always forget. I try to do it before Rhodey gets back from training,” he said with a small shrug.</p><p>Stephen just nodded once.</p><p>“Coffee?”</p><p>“Please,” Stephen sighed.</p><p>Tony poured him a mug from the pot and set it on the table, where Stephen took a seat. He was still feeling their activities from last night in the muscles in his legs.</p><p>“Waffles?”</p><p>Stephen raised an eyebrow. “You can cook?”</p><p>Tony laughed. “No. I can add water and eggs to Bisquick and pour it onto the waffle iron,” he explained. “And sometimes, I can even take them off before they burn.”</p><p>Stephen smiled. “Sure, thanks.”</p><p>He watched as Tony went to the other end of the counter to turn on said waffle iron. Stephen noted a slight limp, and suddenly felt his stomach drop.</p><p>“Are you okay?” he asked prior to recognizing he was going to speak. Tony turned back to him with a questioning look. “I didn’t...did I hurt you? Last night?”</p><p>Tony’s immediate smile quashed his anxiety. “No, not at all. I just, uh, haven’t done that in a while.”</p><p>Stephen tried to ignore the odd sense of content he felt from hearing that.</p><p>“I didn’t know you did that at all.”</p><p>It wasn’t awkward between them. Stephen assumed it was going to be, or that Tony would have just ushered him out the door as quickly as possible. But this was...normal wasn’t the right word, but it was the first word that was coming to mind.</p><p>Tony laughed as he began to pour the waffle batter. “You haven’t heard all the rumors and stories?”</p><p>“Not involving guys.”</p><p>“Well, you might be the only one then. Which I’m glad for.”</p><p>Stephen took another sip of his coffee, which was fantastic, before deciding he was going to roll with the conversation as opposed to sitting in silence. “No one really knows I do that, either,” he said softly.</p><p>Tony turned around a bit too quickly. He felt his heart pull when Stephen looked down at his hands wrapped around the mug in front of him.</p><p>“Hey,” Tony prompted gently. Stephen glanced back up at him. “I’m not going to tell anyone, okay? I know I’ve got a bad reputation. I can’t deny all, or really even most of it. But the stories, they don’t come from me. I never go around talking about anyone I’ve been with. And last night...it’s not my story to tell. I promise you, I’m not going to say anything.”</p><p>Stephen wanted to believe him, and felt as if he could. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice, anyway.</p><p>“Thanks,” he muttered almost inaudibly.</p><p>Tony could tell Stephen wasn’t fully sold on what he had just said. But he wasn’t sure there was anything he could do about it at this point.</p><p>He finished making the waffles before bringing them over to the table. He didn’t like the tension that was building, so he switched the conversation to the first thing he could think of.</p><p>“Do pipes burst in your apartment a lot?”</p><p>Stephen sighed. “It’s either that or some sort of crime scene. Or a small fire.”</p><p>“Will you promise me something?” Stephen looked at him like he was suddenly speaking Italian. “If something like that happens again, and you don’t have anywhere to go, promise me you’ll call me.”</p><p>Stephen stared blankly. “I don’t have your number.”</p><p>“That’s an easy fix.”</p><p>“I, uh, I don’t want to be a pain in the ass. I’m not your problem.”</p><p>“Exactly,” Tony agreed. “You’re not a problem.”</p><p>“That’s not what I said,” Stephen deadpanned.</p><p>Tony shook his head slightly. “I’m serious. We may not be each other’s favorite people, but I think, now especially, we know each other well enough. I know you work really hard. It’s not...I’m not trying to...I just don’t want you out wandering the streets some night with nowhere to go.”</p><p>“That’s never happened,” Stephen assured. “It’s not that bad.”</p><p>“Then there’s no reason not to promise me.”</p><p>Stephen stared at Tony from across the table for several moments. He was trying to figure out what the ulterior motive was. But all he could see in those brown eyes was concern and sincerity.</p><p>“Okay,” Stephen finally relented.</p><p>“You promise?”</p><p>Stephen huffed. “Yeah.” Tony just tilted his head ever so slightly. “Oh my god. Fine. I promise.”</p><p>Tony smiled and took a triumphant bite of his waffle.</p><p>Stephen hid his own smirk behind another sip of coffee.</p><p>After Tony cleared their plates, Stephen began to fidget at the table. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do here. He had never had a one night stand before. And that’s what this was, right?</p><p>“You’re not used to this, are you?” Tony asked.</p><p>“Am I that obvious?”</p><p>“Yes,” Tony said, but his smile was kind. “That’s not a bad thing, though.”</p><p>“So what do you want me to do?” Stephen inquired.</p><p>“I want you to do what you want to do.”</p><p>“I, uh, I don’t want to be rude, or anything.”</p><p>Tony hummed. “You want to go home.”</p><p>“I mean, yes and no. I’m just still kind of tired and I have homework-”</p><p>“You don’t have to explain, Stephen,” Tony said, still smiling. “I mean it. I want you to do whatever you want, and I never expected you to hang out here all day. You’ve got shit to do, and so do I. It’s okay.”</p><p>Stephen nodded. “You are good at this.”</p><p>He meant it as a joke, but knew it hadn’t come across that way when he saw Tony’s face fall.</p><p>“Experience, I guess,” he mumbled. Before Stephen could correct his misstep, Tony was standing from the table. “I’ll grab your clothes.”</p><p>Stephen was trying to think of a way to play off what he had said, but didn’t come up with anything before Tony returned with his now dry clothes.</p><p>“They’re a little wrinkled, sorry.”</p><p>“That’s fine,” Stephen assured, trying to keep his tone light. “Thank you.”</p><p>He paused for a second before retreating back to the bathroom to change into his own clothes.</p><p>Tony leaned against the back of the chair once he heard the bathroom door click shut. He didn’t know why he felt so disappointed. Last night had been more than great, and that was usually enough for him. But Stephen’s reaction was disheartening. He didn’t want to be thought of as good at one night stands, even though he knew it was his own fault that that was what Stephen thought.</p><p>He didn’t want to keep trying to let himself self destruct all the time. But maybe he wasn’t going to be able to change that.</p><p>He straightened back up when he heard the door open. Stephen reentered the kitchen and pretended not to notice how defeated Tony looked.</p><p>“I left your clothes on the bed,” he said lamely. “Thanks, again, for letting me stay here.”</p><p>Tony gave his best forced smile. “Like I said, any time.”</p><p>Any time would turn out to be all too true.</p><p>***</p><p>Pepper had always told him his caffeine addiction was going to cause problems. She turned out to be right, but there was no way she had meant it this way.</p><p>If he had gripped the cardboard cup in his hand just the slightest bit tighter, the top would have surely popped off and fell to the floor between where he and Stephen were standing.</p><p>Tony had collected his order from the counter and turned to leave the coffee shop, but stopped short so as not to crash into the person who had appeared next to him waiting for their drink.</p><p>That person just happened to be Stephen Strange.</p><p>“Hi,” Stephen breathed after what felt like an eternity.</p><p>“Hey,” Tony responded automatically.</p><p>He was stuck. Stephen’s gray eyes were holding him in place, like they always did. It had been two months since the gala, and of course, as soon as Tony was back in New York, he ran into the other man roughly an hour after landing.</p><p>“Can we sit for a minute?”</p><p>Tony was lost in his own head. He knew Stephen had said something, but wasn’t sure what it had been.</p><p>“Tony?”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>Stephen flicked his head towards the vacant table at the back of the mostly empty coffee shop.</p><p>“Can we sit for a minute?” he asked again.</p><p>Tony shook his head slowly. “I, ah, I don’t...” God, he was stammering like a shy teenager. He took the deepest breath he could without making it obvious. “Sure.”</p><p>He followed Stephen over to the table after the other man had received his own coffee. They sat across from one another in heavy silence for a few moments.</p><p>Stephen couldn’t help but drink in Tony’s face. He had aged so god damn well. He looked good, really good. Healthy, which Stephen was really glad to see. But he didn’t look all that happy at the moment.</p><p>“Back in New York, huh?” Stephen started, unsure of what else to say.</p><p>Tony looked unimpressed. “Expo,” he stated plainly.</p><p>“Right, right,” Stephen said with a nod. “How’s that going?”</p><p>“Are you serious right now?”</p><p>Stephen dropped his eyes to the table. “I don’t know.”</p><p>Tony shook his head slowly. “What do you want from me?”</p><p>He had wanted to sound annoyed, angry, bored. But he didn’t. His voice broke at the end, showing just how desperate and sad he was.</p><p>Stephen looked up at him immediately. “Nothing.”</p><p>“Then why...” Tony had to look away from Stephen’s eyes to steady himself before he could look back. “Why are we sitting here?”</p><p>“The other night, what you said-”</p><p>“Fuck,” Tony exhaled. He ran a slightly shaking hand through his hair. “I shouldn’t have said that, about you being like Ty. That was fucked up, and I’m sorry.”</p><p>Stephen stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.</p><p>“I didn’t...that’s not...” he couldn’t formulate a sentence.</p><p>Tony had apologized. To him.</p><p>That’s how backwards this had become.</p><p>“You have nothing to apologize for,” Stephen finally managed. “I’m the one that should be apologizing. That’s what I wanted to do. I don’t want things to end the way they did.”</p><p>Tony’s eyebrow twitched upwards. “Two months ago? Or twelve years ago?”</p><p>“Both.”</p><p>“Fine,” Tony sighed. “It’s all over with, okay? It was a long time ago. We were young. It wasn’t...there’s no need to...” he dropped his eyes to his forgotten coffee cup. “It’s done. It’s in the past.”</p><p>“We both know it’s not that simple, Tony.”</p><p>“Why not?” Tony wanted to know. “I’ve been trying to make it go away for so long. Nothing has worked. But maybe this will, just agreeing to let it go and keep moving on.”</p><p>“Have you moved on?” Stephen asked.</p><p>Tony’s eyes were pleading. “Why are you doing this?”</p><p>There was no way Stephen was going to be able to explain it to Tony when he couldn’t make sense of it himself.</p><p>Before he could get himself to speak again, his phone went off. He pulled it from his pocket and scowled at the message he had received from the hospital. He dropped it to the table dramatically before looking back at Tony.</p><p>“Are you free tonight?”</p><p>Tony gaped. “What?”</p><p>“For dinner. Or a drink. Or whatever.”</p><p>“Why? Why the fuck-”</p><p>“I can’t explain it,” Stephen interjected. “I just can’t let it go, not like this. I know it’s been a long, long time. And if you want me gone and to stay out of your life, that’s fine. You don’t owe me anything, and I know that.”</p><p>“You’re serious,” Tony stated more than asked.</p><p>Stephen nodded. “Very.” His phone chimed again. “I fucking know, West, Jesus Christ,” he cursed down at the device. Tony’s lips tugged into the tiniest of smiles. The surgeon sighed heavily. “You can say no.”</p><p>Tony barked a short laugh. “Fuck you.”</p><p>“That’s not an answer."</p><p>Tony wanted to scream. He wanted to throw his coffee at the window. He wanted to flip the table over and storm out.</p><p>He did exactly zero of those things.</p><p>Instead, he sat back in his chair and sighed. Stephen’s gray eyes had won him over. Again.</p><p>“Fine.”</p><p>Stephen was willing to take what he could get.</p><p>He slid the cardboard holder off his cup and pulled a pen from his jacket pocket so he could write his number down for Tony. He slid it across the table, but the other man was still staring at him.</p><p>“You pick the place. The time. Whatever you want, okay?”</p><p>Tony shook his head slowly. “I need to know why.”</p><p>“I don’t know why,” Stephen admitted. “I had always assumed we were never going to see or speak to each other ever again. But that didn’t pan out.”</p><p>“So now we have to go to dinner together because we ran into each other?”</p><p>“Or a drink. Like I said. Whatever you want.”</p><p>“Why is it all on me?” Tony scoffed. “You’re the one who wants to do this.”</p><p>“You’re the one who said yes,” Stephen said as he stood. Tony shot him a glare. “Okay, technically you said ‘fine.’ But it means the same thing, doesn’t it?”</p><p>He deposited his phone back into his pocket and picked up his coffee.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I have to go. I, uh, I hope to hear from you soon about tonight.”</p><p>Stephen left quickly before Tony could change his mind.</p><p>The billionaire sat at that table for the next hour. He never so much as touched his cup.</p><p>He just kept staring down at the phone number in front of him.</p><p>Which he hadn’t needed. Stephen’s number hadn’t changed from when Tony had first gotten it back in Boston.</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen came to the conclusion that what happened between him and Tony wasn’t a big deal.</p><p>College was all about new experiences. He was exploring, finding out who he really was. Even before coming to Boston, he knew he had been interested in men. The summer before his senior year of high school had proven that point.</p><p>He was almost able to convince himself that he would be fine if he never interacted with Tony ever again.</p><p>But then he got to thinking about their night together.</p><p>He thought about it almost constantly. And thanks to his eidetic memory, he was able to reenact their entire encounter. While he stroked himself in his apartment, eyes squeezed shut, suddenly wishing it was Tony touching him.</p><p>Stephen had assumed that was going to have to be his new habit. Until he saw Tony again, almost two weeks later. He hadn’t even finished half of his beer before he saw Tony, Happy and Rhodey walking into the bar. He realized that he had been staring at the door the entire time, but that wasn’t relevant.</p><p>Tony’s eyes met his almost instantly, and he smiled. But he didn’t approach him.</p><p><em>Right</em>, Stephen thought, <em>because we’re not friends</em>. <em>That would be weird</em>. So he stayed at his table with his friends while Tony sat on the other side against the wall with his. But they kept stealing glances at each other, and it was driving Stephen insane.</p><p>He had gone up to the bar to return a few empty glasses, planning to finally leave so he could go home and jack off to the memory of being with Tony in the shower when the other man was suddenly next to him.</p><p>“I’m going out back and have a cigarette if you want to join.”</p><p>Stephen raised his eyebrows. “You smoke?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Less than a minute later, Stephen had Tony securely up against the brick wall as they made out behind the bar. It was a bit chilly out, being late September, but you wouldn’t know it from the heat coming off of their bodies.</p><p>Tony slotted his right leg between Stephen’s and forced his thigh up to push it against the bulge straining Stephen’s jeans. The taller man moaned in appreciation as he slipped his hands under Tony’s shirt. He reluctantly let him break the kiss so Tony could start kissing down his neck, his hand replacing his thigh between Stephen’s legs.</p><p>“Tell me what you want me to do,” Tony breathed into Stephen’s ear before sucking on his earlobe.</p><p>Stephen groaned as he tried to think of words. Any words, really. He gasped when he felt Tony’s hand dive into his pants, under his boxers, and immediately start stroking his already aching cock.</p><p>“Need some suggestions?” he teased.</p><p>Stephen forced their mouths back together and kissed Tony as dirtily as he could. His hips jerked forward into Tony’s hand, but he quickly grew frustrated by the limited movement available.</p><p>He broke away from Tony’s lips, panting heavily.</p><p>“Do you want me to suck you off?"</p><p>Stephen’s knees almost buckled. He nodded frantically.</p><p>“Say it,” Tony breathed. “Say it, and I’ll do it.”</p><p>“Suck me,” Stephen was moaning immediately. “I want you to suck my dick.”</p><p>It was dark, but Stephen could clearly see the smirk on Tony’s face.</p><p>He had Stephen’s jeans and boxers out of the way before he even made it down to his knees.</p><p>Stephen had to brace his forearms on the wall to keep from toppling over. Tony wasn’t taking his time. He licked the entirety of Stephen’s cock, slicking it up with his spit before sucking the head into his mouth. He bobbed up and down steadily, taking more and more each time. The wet sucking sounds he was making was only adding to Stephen’s pleasure. His breaths were coming in choked gasps by the time Tony was stroking his balls with one hand and twisting the shaft of his dick with the other.</p><p>He would have tried to give him a warning that he was going to come, but Tony hadn’t allowed for that option. He had opened his throat and swallowed Stephen’s long cock all the way down the back of his throat, looking up through his eyelashes at the man above him while the muscles in his throat rippled around Stephen.</p><p>He came with a cry, his hips thrusting forward so hard he almost forced Tony’s head back against the brick.</p><p>As soon as he had gathered himself enough, he was yanking Tony back to his feet. He kissed him hard, shuddering in delight at the taste of himself in Tony’s mouth. He licked at the other man’s tongue as he roughly grabbed at the front of his jeans to get at the hard cock he could feel confined within. Once it had sprung free, he wrapped his slender fingers around the base and started pumping Tony as fast as he could.</p><p>“Fuck,” Tony moaned. He looped his arms around Stephen’s neck and drove his hips forward hard.</p><p>“You’re so hard just from blowing me,” Stephen praised against Tony’s neck.</p><p>“I told you,” Tony panted. “You have a really fucking great dick.”</p><p>Stephen sucked on the spot below Tony’s ear as he drove his thumbnail into Tony’s slit. Tony tightened his hold on Stephen’s neck as he moaned, his orgasm pulsing through him and sending his come into Stephen’s hand.</p><p>Before Stephen could even consider what to do next, Tony was grasping his wrist to raise his hand to his mouth. Stephen watched, eyes blown wide, while Tony licked his own come off Stephen’s hand.</p><p>As soon as he was done, Stephen was sliding his lips back over Tony’s to lap at the other’s tongue to get a taste himself.</p><p>Eventually, they had tucked themselves back into their clothes, but were still kissing hungrily as if they hadn’t just made each other come in the alley behind the bar. When they finally had to pull apart for air, Stephen unconsciously reached a trembling hand up to brush the hair off Tony’s forehead.</p><p>“So,” he started, his voice as shaky as his hand. “What if I called you for something other than an issue with my apartment?”</p><p>Tony’s hands settled on his hips. The genuine smile Stephen saw break out on his face almost made him melt.</p><p>“I’d answer,” Tony purred. “I’d answer to hear you ask me what time it is, Stephen.”</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Leo’s at 8.</em>
</p><p>Stephen saw the text message about an hour and a half after Tony had sent it, once he was out of surgery. It was almost four in the afternoon, giving him plenty of time to get home and cleaned up before meeting Tony at the small restaurant. Which just so happened to be only five blocks from his apartment.</p><p>Tony hadn’t know that, of course. Not until later that night.</p><p>It had taken him almost three hours to get himself to even send the message. He had gone back and forth on which place he should pick. He finally settled on somewhere he had been to a lot and was comfortable being, the risk of a favorite place being ruined by a terrible night with Stephen Strange be damned.</p><p>He got there almost a full hour early. He had been driving himself absolutely insane trying to decide what to wear. Should he just keep on the same suit he had been in this morning at the coffee shop to try and convey that he hadn’t put any thought into this? Should he wear something casual to illustrate that this wasn’t a big deal to him? Or should he wear the dark jeans that fit him absolutely perfectly and the maroon sweater that Pepper always said brought out his eyes?</p><p>Naturally, he went with the third option, but it hadn’t been easy.</p><p>Tony had called ahead and arranged for a table in the back to afford plenty of privacy in the event this went the way he assumed it was going to go. He really didn’t need to add a press storm of why Tony Stark had a blow out with some handsome doctor in a restaurant to the list of reasons for Pepper to yell at him.</p><p>He had already had two scotches and was very close to ordering a third when Stephen was escorted to the table by the hostess.</p><p>And, god damn him, he looked fantastic.</p><p>Stephen was wearing gray pants and a navy blue button down. Simple, but it worked so very well.</p><p>Tony tried to maintain a neutral expression while Stephen sat down, but he could feel his cheeks heat up and his eyes immediately divert away from the man now across from him.</p><p>“I’m glad you came,” Stephen said once he was sitting. Tony simply nodded once.</p><p>The waiter immediately came to their table. Tony ordered another scotch while Stephen went with a glass of wine. The waiter left them to look over the menu, but neither men did that.</p><p>Stephen regarded Tony for a second while they sat in silence. “Can I ask you something?”</p><p>Tony let his eyes find Stephen’s. “I can’t imagine anything I say stopping you.”</p><p>Stephen fought the smile he felt tugging at his lips. “Why did you look so happy to see me at the gala?” he inquired. “Why did you come up to me at all?”</p><p>“Would you have preferred that I pretended we didn’t know each other and avoided you the whole night?”</p><p>“No. It’s just...it’s the exact opposite of what I expected. And the opposite of how you’re acting now.”</p><p>Tony let out a short laugh. “Sorry my behavior isn’t predictable anymore.”</p><p>“That’s not what I mean.”</p><p>“I don’t know what you want me to say. I looked happy to see you because I was happy to see you. Maybe you forgot, but I wasn’t the one who wanted for us to never see each other ever again.”</p><p>Stephen considered that for a second. “And now?”</p><p>Tony shrugged. “I guess I just wish I could make sense of this.”</p><p>“If it makes you feel any better, I can’t make sense of this either.”</p><p>“Yeah, it does, actually. Nice to be on the same page finally.” It was Stephen’s turn to drop his eyes. “Look, I don’t want you to apologize, if that’s your plan.”</p><p>Stephen looked up in surprise. “Why not?”</p><p>Tony sighed. “You were twenty-two. You wanted to focus on medical school. That’s all you ever wanted, and I knew that.”</p><p>Stephen just stared at Tony, knowing that wasn’t the end of what he wanted to say.</p><p>“And I don’t think you are sorry,” he finally added.</p><p>“How would you know?”</p><p>Tony laughed humorlessly. “You were very clear that night.”</p><p>“That doesn’t mean I can’t apologize.”</p><p>They paused while the waiter brought them their drinks. Tony indicated they might need a few more minutes before they were ready to order, so they were left again.</p><p>“I’m not doing this with you,” Tony decided. “I’m not fighting with you.”</p><p>“Who says we’re going to fight?”</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes. “I’ll sit here and have dinner with you,” he continued as if Stephen hadn’t spoken. “But we’re not talking about anything that happened twelve or more years ago.”</p><p>“Then what are we going to talk about?”</p><p>“Well, you seemed curious about the Expo earlier,” Tony deadpanned.</p><p>Stephen shook his head slightly. “I thought you agreed to come tonight so we could clear the air.”</p><p>“Are we going to be able to do that?” Tony asked. “I don’t think we can. And I don’t want to try.”</p><p>“Why not?” Stephen almost demanded.</p><p>“What the hell would be the point of it? What are you hoping to gain?”</p><p>“I’m not trying to gain anything,” Stephen promised. “I just want...” he trailed off, not entirely sure how to finish that sentence.</p><p>“You don’t even know,” Tony pointed out. He sighed heavily again. “My plan at the gala had been to just go say hi to you. Pretend like nothing was wrong. Talk for a bit, maybe. That was it. Why can’t we just do that now?”</p><p>“Pretend nothing is wrong?” Stephen scoffed. “You really think we can manage that?”</p><p>Tony smiled sadly. “We managed it for three years before.”</p><p>Stephen opened his mouth to continue to argue, but then let it slowly fall closed as he looked into Tony’s eyes. They were tired. Not as bright as Stephen once remembered them. And he knew he was to blame for that.</p><p>So if Tony wanted to just have dinner, and talk about everything other than what happened with them, then fine. He owed him at least that much.</p><p>And it was as easy as Tony had said it would be.</p><p>They talked about the Expo. Stephen’s research and recent innovations with various surgical techniques. Tony asked Stephen if he had finally come to his senses and became a Mets fan. Stephen teased him about a commercial Pepper had forced him to do a year or so ago.</p><p>And so it went. For over three hours, everything was fine. They talked and they ate and they drank. It was as if they were just old friends from college, catching up on their lives.</p><p>Until they ended up back at Stephen’s apartment.</p><p>He was sure they had been a logical progression to the events, but for the life of him, Stephen couldn’t remember what exactly that was.</p><p>It was hard for him to care at the moment. He was much more focused on watching his cock disappear into Tony’s body as he fucked him.</p><p>Stephen’s hands were gripping Tony’s hips so hard that there were certainly going to be bruises there tomorrow. His own hips connected with Tony’s ass on each thrust in the most perfect way.</p><p>He moved one hand from Tony’s side to press into the small of his back to force him further down into the mattress, changing the angle to drive the head of his dick straight into the other man’s prostate.</p><p>Tony moaned loudly as he pulled at the sheets under him. He forced himself back against Stephen as best as he could, but he was rapidly building towards his orgasm.</p><p>Which Stephen was very well aware of.</p><p>He gripped Tony’s shoulder to yank him upright, pressing his chest flush against Tony’s back. He snaked his arm around his waist to reach between Tony’s legs and started stroking his neglected cock. He sucked on Tony’s neck while his thrusts started to become shallower, grinding into Tony more than anything as he built towards his own release.</p><p>Tony’s head fell back onto Stephen’s shoulder. He reached up with his left arm to grab at Stephen’s short hair to keep his head in place and their bodies pressed together at every square inch.</p><p>“Please don’t stop,” Tony panted.</p><p>Stephen groaned against Tony’s neck. “Come with me, Tony.”</p><p>He felt Tony’s cock pulse in his hand before it was covered with his hot come. Stephen watched over Tony’s shoulder, moaning loudly before his own orgasm released into the other man.</p><p>Stephen managed to keep them upright long enough to pull out of Tony and move to the right before they collapsed onto the bed. Tony fell on his left side and Stephen on his stomach, both breathing heavily into the pillows.</p><p>Stephen fought to keep his eyes open. He watched through hooded eyelids as Tony pushed himself onto his back, took a few deep breaths, and then moved to roll off the bed on the far side.</p><p>“Tony,” Stephen rasped. The other man kept moving until he legs were off the side of the bed but he stayed there, sitting on the edge. “You don’t have to go.”</p><p>Tony tugged his hand through his hair. He let out a shaky breath and leaned forward, bracing his hands on his knees.</p><p>“Don’t go.”</p><p>“Why not?” Tony all but whispered over his shoulder. “It’s only going to get worse from here.”</p><p>“It doesn’t have to,” Stephen said as he maneuvered to sit up. He reached his right hand out slowly until it came into contact with Tony, right between his shoulder blades.</p><p>Tony’s skin was so warm and soft. Stephen could feel him inhale deeply and hold the air in his lungs for as long as he could before letting it out slowly.</p><p>“This is what you wanted, right?” Tony finally turned enough so he could look over at Stephen, making his hand fall away. Stephen’s brow furrowed. “We had dinner. We had drinks. We had sex. That was the point, wasn’t it? To leave this all on a better note?”</p><p>Stephen was shaking his head the entire time Tony had been speaking. “That’s not what I meant.”</p><p>“Well,” Tony sighed. “It’s what happened. So why don’t we just let this be it? Isn’t this better?”</p><p>“Is this what you want?”</p><p>Tony turned his back to Stephen again. “You know what I want.”</p><p>Stephen found he didn’t know what to say to that.</p><p>So he let Tony go.</p><p>Again.</p><p>***</p><p>It became as much a part of his life as going to class and studying.</p><p>Having sex with Tony Stark was much more fun, though.</p><p>And it worked so well. Tony wasn’t pushy, which surprised Stephen at first. But then he realized the other man was as committed to his studies as Stephen was, and that made it all the easier. There would be short stretches of days where they wouldn’t see or talk to each other at all. Tony would be locked away in a lab somewhere, or Stephen would spend every waking hour in the library.</p><p>But when they did see each other...Stephen just couldn’t get enough of it. Everything about Tony was addicting, but his favorite thing was how free the other man was. He wasn’t ashamed of his pleasure. He never tried to hide his arousal or hold back his moans. And it made Stephen feel as if he could do the same.</p><p>He had been intimidated at first, worried his inexperience would show. It might have, but Tony never let on to any indication of it. He always made Stephen feel like he was perfect at everything he did.</p><p>As evidenced by their current activities.</p><p>Tony was half up against the headboard of his bed, half on the pillows. He had both hands trying to grip Stephen’s too short hair, moaning constantly as Stephen sucked his cock.</p><p>Stephen was currently focusing his attention on Tony’s head. He alternated between sucking the sensitive area and swirling his tongue around it. One hand twisted the base of Tony’s dick while the other was planted firmly on his hip to keep control over how much he took into his mouth.</p><p>He knew Tony wasn’t going to last much longer. It was their third round of the day. Well, technically now it was night, but they had been going on and off for hours, and he could feel Tony’s balls tightening and breathing start to become erratic.</p><p>“Fucking hell,” Tony swore. “God your mouth is so fucking good, Stephen.”</p><p>He would never, ever get enough of the praise that he was able to make fall from Tony’s kiss swollen lips. He hummed his approval around Tony’s dick, knowing the sensation would be appreciated.</p><p>“Jesus Christ, I’m going to come,” Tony warned.</p><p>But Stephen didn’t pull back. He flattened his tongue and slid it along the underside of Tony’s cock and hollowed his cheeks, sucking hard.</p><p>Tony’s hips bucked as he came into Stephen’s mouth.</p><p>Stephen swallowed as much as he could, and settled for licking the rest off of Tony’s spent dick before crawling back up towards the panting man above him. He was surprised when he was immediately pulled into a deep kiss, especially since Tony’s eyes hadn’t even been open.</p><p>He laughed into it, letting Tony lap at the taste of himself in Stephen’s mouth until he had to stop to let air into his protesting lungs.</p><p>Stephen fell onto the pillows next to Tony, letting his own breathing settle as they laid in silence.</p><p>Which was interrupted by an audible growl of Stephen’s stomach.</p><p>He felt his cheeks heat up immediately, but his embarrassment subsided when he heard Tony laugh softly next to him.</p><p>“Pizza or Chinese?” he asked.</p><p>Stephen paused for a second. “Depends where the Chinese would be from.”</p><p>“Food Works, of course,” Tony huffed. “What do you take me for?”</p><p>Stephen looked over at Tony with a smirk. “Do you really want me to answer that?”</p><p>“Maybe later,” Tony hummed. “When I’ve got you on the verge of coming again. I think I’ll like that answer better.”</p><p>Stephen suppressed the groan he felt wanting to escape. “I can’t argue with that,” he managed to say.</p><p>Tony chuckled as he sat up and rolled off the bed. He pulled on his long forgotten boxers and a pair of sweatpants, tossing Stephen’s over his shoulder. He caught them with a short laugh, but was watching as Tony got up and started searching for a shirt.</p><p>Stephen couldn’t pinpoint when their...arrangement had gotten to this. It had started as strictly sex. But somewhere along the way, food became incorporated. And while they ate that food, they would usually watch tv or a movie, as if they were just friends and hadn’t been fucking for hours before.</p><p>But Stephen didn’t mind it, and Tony certainly didn’t seem to either. And when they saw each other in public now, they didn’t need to pretend they hated each other. They still went back and forth as they always had, which they also now did before and after sex. As well as during.</p><p>Stephen finished getting dressed and exited the bedroom to hear Tony wrapping up the order on the phone. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Stephen felt a hint of anxiety at the fact that this was now so common Tony didn’t even need to ask what he wanted, but he was too tired and satisfied to care all that much. So he just flopped down on the couch next to Tony to wait for their food.</p><p>Stephen made a point not to think about it too much. Friends with benefits was a thing, wasn’t it? And they had been able to figure it out, make it work.</p><p>They bickered over the Chinese food, as they seemed to always end up doing. The tv was on, but it mostly faded into the background as they talked and joked with one another.</p><p>Neither of them had any reason to believe this wasn’t sustainable.</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen assumed Christine forcing him to help out in the emergency room was mostly in retaliation for him finally breaking things off with her officially, but he couldn’t prove it. And he couldn’t say that his help wasn’t needed from the influx of people who had been brought in from the attack at the Expo.</p><p>Apparently, Justin Hammer had conspired with a Russian terrorist to go after Tony. The plot hadn’t been successful, but a few large scale explosions had caused a decent amount of injuries. Luckily, no one had been killed.</p><p>Part of the reason Stephen agreed to lend his services was in the hopes that he would see Hammer again and would be able to inflict additional damage on him. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been injured, and had instead been taken into police custody.</p><p>So Stephen went from bed to bed in the ER, doing what he could to help the nurses and other doctors attend to those who needed it. He was hoping to get called away to have to do an actual surgery as he pulled back the curtain to the next patient.</p><p>He swore his heart stopped beating for several seconds.</p><p>Tony was sitting on the bed, his right hand clutching his left side, and his other supporting his head. He looked up when he heard the curtain draw back, and had to squint to look up at him.</p><p>“Hey, Doc,” Tony exhaled shakily.</p><p>Stephen stared down at the other man. He had a dark bruise on his forehead over his right eye that disappeared into his disheveled hair. His eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, and his breathing was clearly labored.</p><p>“What the hell happened?” Stephen found himself asking as he tugged the curtain closed again to give them a bit of privacy.</p><p>Tony tried to shrug, but really just sort of winced. “Hammer still hates me, I guess.” Stephen stepped forward before Tony had even finished speaking, but the other man immediately shook his head. “I’m fine,” he declared. “There are plenty of other people who need your help.”</p><p>Tony’s speech was sluggish, almost slurred. Stephen felt his stomach turning into knots.</p><p>One other thing that held true over twelve years: he really, really hated seeing Tony in pain.</p><p>“Tony,” he said gently. “You almost certainly have a concussion. You need to let me check you out.”</p><p>“I’m fine,” Tony said again. “I’m only here because Pepper tricked me.”</p><p>“I can get someone else,” Stephen offered. “But you’re getting seen to.”</p><p>Tony closed his eyes, mostly to try and get the room to stop spinning. He started swaying slightly, so Stephen stepped in front of him and put a steadying hand carefully on his shoulder. Tony took the deepest breath he could, and let it out slowly.</p><p>“Can you open your eyes for me?” Stephen asked, his voice calm and low.</p><p>Tony opened them slowly, and Stephen moved back a half step as he pulled his pen light from his pocket. He shined it into each of Tony’s eyes, trying to keep his worried expression at bay.</p><p>“What bothers you more? The light, or my voice?” Tony looked back at him blankly. “You can be honest. You won’t hurt my feelings.”</p><p>The smallest of smiles tugged at Tony’s lips. “The light,” he replied.</p><p>Stephen nodded, having expected that. He slowly raised his hand to brush the hair off Tony’s forehead to get a better look at the bruise. It didn’t look good, and he definitely had a concussion, but it could have been a lot worse.</p><p>“Do you feel nauseous?”</p><p>Tony shook his head slightly. “Not really.”</p><p>“Dizzy?” Stephen watched as Tony closed his eyes again. “Please don’t lie to me, Tony.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Tony all but whispered. "My head in spinning."</p><p>“Is your vision blurred at all?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Can I touch your neck?” Tony opened his eyes again. “Any chance of whiplash?”</p><p>“I don’t think so. But you can check.”</p><p>Stephen gently prodded Tony’s neck and shoulder muscles with his long fingers. Tony looked up at him, but Stephen made a point to keep his eyes on what his hands were doing.</p><p>“Well, you certainly have a concussion,” Stephen reported. “With some fluids and rest, you’ll be okay. But you can’t stare at a screen and go around working like nothing is wrong, or you’ll make it worse.” Tony nodded the best he could. “Now, if you’d just move your hand so I can see what you’re trying to hide from me.”</p><p>Tony sighed, but that just made a grimace break out on his face. “It’s not a big deal.”</p><p>“Then show me.”</p><p>Tony reluctantly pulled his hand away to reveal his palm covered in blood. There was a gash in his side, just below his rib cage. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but it definitely didn’t fit the tag of the previously proclaimed “not a big deal.”</p><p>“You need stitches,” Stephen said instantly.</p><p>“Have you seen the other people who have come in here?” Tony asked, putting his hand back over the cut. “I’m fine. You need to help everyone else. It’s my fault they got hurt, this is just a scratch, you need to go help them.”</p><p>Stephen noted Tony’s breathing quickening as his voice took on an almost panicked tone.</p><p>“Hey,” he said as calmly as he could. “This isn’t your fault, first of all. But if you want me to get someone else to help you, I will. You need stitches. It won’t take very long. And believe it or not, we’re used to dealing with more than one patient at a time. I can assure you, no one will be worse off due to the two minutes that you require attention.”</p><p>Tony’s eyes were glassy with unshed tears. He was exhausted. He was in a decent amount of pain. And he was vulnerable.</p><p>But he didn’t want Stephen to leave his side.</p><p>“I want you to do it,” he said so softly Stephen almost hadn’t heard him.</p><p>“Okay,” Stephen breathed. “Do you need help taking your shirt off?”</p><p>Tony shook his head. He unbuttoned his shirt while Stephen gathered what he needed and snapped on a pair of gloves. When he turned back to Tony, his heart clenched at the sight of multiple bruises and scratches littered on his torso. But he kept his composure, and was sure he didn’t let his concern show.</p><p>“Lay down,” he instructed. Tony did so, with only slight discomfort. Stephen dabbed at the wound, soaking up the rest of the blood. He grabbed an alcohol pad for the next step. “This is going to sting,” he warned.</p><p>Tony just nodded once and closed his eyes.</p><p>He hissed when Stephen began to clean to wound, but didn’t try to move away. Stephen was as gentle as he could possibly be while still getting the job done. Once it was cleaned and the bleeding stopped, he took the needle and thread and efficiently stitched the five inch gash closed. When he was done, he applied antibiotic ointment before covering it securely with a fresh piece of gauze and some tape.</p><p>“It’ll be healed in four or five days,” Stephen explained as if Tony were any other patient. The other man sat up slowly to look at him. “Tomorrow, if you still have a headache, you can take Tylenol, or come in for-”</p><p>“I can’t take anything stronger,” Tony said, averting his eyes down to the floor.</p><p>Stephen suddenly felt like he was going to cry.</p><p>“Just limit light and noise exposure as much as you can,” he said through the lump in his throat. “If you’re having trouble sleeping or get sick to your stomach, please come back. I think you’re okay. But if it gets worse...” Stephen put his now gloveless and clean hand on Tony’s wrist. “Promise me, Tony.”</p><p>Tony’s eyes looked down at Stephen’s hand before looking back up into his eyes.</p><p>“I promise,” he whispered. “I’ll be good, Doc.”</p><p>“I don’t expect you to go that far. Just put your computer and phone away for a couple days.”</p><p>Tony breathed a short laugh. “Thank you, Stephen.”</p><p>He gingerly put his shirt back on and did up enough buttons to be passable. Stephen discharged him after he again promised he would take it easy, and that Pepper was in the waiting room, ready to take him home and ensure he did as he was instructed.</p><p>Later that night, when Stephen was finally on his way out, he overheard some nurses talking about how Tony Stark had been in the ER earlier.</p><p>He thought it would be the usual gossip there was when a celebrity came through, but this was different.</p><p>They were talking about how Tony Stark hadn’t left the ER until he had made arrangements to pay for the treatment of every last person who had been brought in from the Expo. The Dean of Medicine had tried to talk him out of it, apparently advising that it wasn’t wise in case there were any lawsuits, but Tony wasn’t hearing it.</p><p>As soon as he was in his car in the garage, Stephen’s urge to cry from earlier returned, and the tears spilled from his tired eyes.</p><p>***</p><p>“I’m not really into Halloween,” Stephen had admitted when Tony invited him to the party he and Rhodey were throwing.</p><p>“Neither am I,” Tony agreed, “but Rhodey loves it. And I said I would be apart of a costume with Hap. But I can’t for the life of me remember what I’m supposed to be.”</p><p>So Stephen had to go, simply to find out what Tony had agreed to dress up as. It was pure curiosity, was all.</p><p>He himself had had no idea what to go as, so he settled for wearing a pair of blue scrubs he had from interning at the hospital and sneakers. Simple, but it would work.</p><p>It had definitely worked.</p><p>Stephen walked through the door into Tony and Rhodey’s apartment with a small group of other mutual friends who had been invited. Stephen saw Tony right away, standing in the middle of the kitchen with his arm around Happy’s shoulders, both with goofy smiles on their faces.</p><p>They were both wearing black suits with fedoras and sunglasses.</p><p>Stephen laughed at their perfect costumes. His smile only grew at Tony came up to him, arms extended to show off his look.</p><p>“Blues Brothers. You guys look great.”</p><p>Tony came to a stop just a little too close to Stephen and leaned in.</p><p>“Not as good as you,” he murmured. “You’re a really fucking hot doctor, Stephen.”</p><p>Tony showed he meant that statement by using every excuse he could find throughout the night to touch Stephen. Whether they were playing drinking games, or just sitting on the couch talking, Tony just couldn’t keep his hands to himself.</p><p>As the night went on, people filtered in and out, all getting drunker and drunker. Tony and Stephen had each had their fair share, but were only pleasantly buzzed. Before they knew it, Rhodey was announcing he was off to bed, leaving them alone in the living room.</p><p>Tony straddled Stephen faster than seemed possible.</p><p>“You’re fucking <em>killing</em> me with these scrubs,” he groaned before kissing Stephen hard.</p><p>Stephen immediately moaned into the other man’s mouth. He palmed Tony’s ass and rolled his hips up. He let himself be pushed up against the back of the couch as Tony moved his assault from his mouth to his neck. His hands slipped under Stephen’s shirt to tease at his nipples.</p><p>“I could see the outline of your perfect dick all night,” Tony whined into Stephen’s ear.</p><p>Stephen’s hips jerked on their own accord upon hearing that. He kissed Tony again, sucking on his tongue.</p><p>“As much as I want to fuck you right here and now,” he panted, “I don’t think Rhodey would appreciate it.”</p><p>Tony breathed a laugh. “He had five beers tonight and is a total lightweight. Trust me, he passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow.” He scratched his blunt nails through the hair on Stephen’s stomach lightly. “But you make a good point. There’s not enough room here for all the things I want to do to you.”</p><p>One of those things turned out to be going down on Stephen until he was a panting, moaning mess above him.</p><p>Stephen watched as Tony bobbed his head up and down slowly, spit spilling from his mouth to coat every inch of Stephen’s cock. It was so messy, and so good.</p><p>He was intent on protesting when Tony pulled off, but then he was kissing him deeply, and sliding their cocks together almost lazily. Stephen grabbed a fistful of Tony’s hair, but wasn’t able to keep him in place for very long.</p><p>Tony shifted until his knees were on other side of Stephen’s hips, their cocks still pressed together. He leaned over and grabbed the bottle of lube, slipping it into Stephen’s hand as they went back to making out.</p><p>Stephen tried to flip them over so he could get to prepping Tony, but the other’s legs tightened around his waist.</p><p>“I want to ride you,” Tony said against Stephen’s lips. “Please, baby.”</p><p>Stephen’s cock twitched at the words coming from Tony’s mouth. All he could do was nod emphatically and pour lube onto his hand, moving it behind Tony to circle around his entrance.</p><p>Tony moaned and let his head fall back. He was always so responsive to Stephen, and that did as much for Stephen as anything else.</p><p>Stephen watched in awe as the man above him came undone before his eyes. He kept grinding their cocks together as Stephen opened him up, sweat coating both their bodies. Tony abruptly grasped Stephen’s wrist and pulled his hand away. Stephen let both of his hands settle on Tony’s hips as he watched him brace one hand on Stephen’s stomach while the other reached down and firmly seized Stephen’s throbbing cock. Tony slid the head between his cheeks to his hole, settling it there before slowly sinking down.</p><p>“Fuck,” Tony keened.</p><p>He managed to keep his eyes open and locked on Stephen’s until he was fully seated on Stephen’s cock, at which point his eyes rolled into the back of his head.</p><p>Stephen was almost sure he could come from the feel of Tony’s muscles clenching around him alone. But then he started moving, and dear god.</p><p>“Jesus, Tony,” Stephen moaned, suddenly uncaring if Rhodey was actually passed out or not. Tony’s roommate could walk in at this very moment, and he wouldn’t let Tony off of his lap.</p><p>Tony’s firm thighs allowed him to set a steady pace. Their wet skin slapped together as they moved. Stephen raised his hips as best as he could to fuck up into Tony, but the man on top was doing most of the work.</p><p>“I thought about doing this all night,” Tony whined. “I couldn’t wait to feel you inside me, Stephen.”</p><p>Stephen moaned the entire time Tony was talking. He was transfixed, totally unable to look away as Tony bounced on his cock. His own erection swayed as he moved, red and swollen and begging for attention. Stephen managed to sit up to provide friction against Tony’s cock with his stomach as he pulled Tony’s hips forward and thrust up into him even deeper.</p><p>Tony’s mouth found his, and they kissed dirtily. Stephen wrapped his hand around Tony’s dick and pumped it quickly. Tony wrapped his arms around Stephen’s neck as he started to ride him faster and harder.</p><p>“Fuck, Tony,” Stephen moaned. “You have no idea how good you feel. Fuck fuck fuck I’m going to come.”</p><p>“Good,” Tony breathed. “I want you to, Stephen. Come inside me.”</p><p>Stephen slammed his hips up as hard as he could as he felt the bundle at the base of his spine snap. He spilled deep into Tony, moaning loudly as the other man kept fucking himself on Stephen’s cock.</p><p>Tony groaned at the feeling of Stephen’s hot come flowing into him. His head fell forward onto Stephen’s shoulder as he let as much of his body weight as he could pull him down onto Stephen’s dick, striking his prostate dead on and sending him over the edge.</p><p>Stephen collapsed backwards onto the pillows as soon as Tony’s arms were removed from his neck. He wasn’t sure he was ever going to be able to breathe again, which was only furthered by Tony sliding off his cock and leaning down to lick his come off Stephen’s stomach. Stephen threaded his fingers through Tony’s sweaty hair and would have moaned at the sight if he had had the energy to. He tugged as hard as he could until Tony was moving up to kiss him, spreading the taste of himself between their tongues.</p><p>When they had to break apart for air, Tony let his head fall to Stephen’s heaving chest.</p><p>“Just a heads up,” Stephen panted. “I’m only ever wearing scrubs from now on.”</p><p>Tony’s laugh was muffled as he pressed his face against Stephen’s chest. Stephen found himself wrapping his arms around Tony’s shoulders, holding him close.</p><p>Which was new. But Stephen was starting to like new things that were associated with Tony.</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen was very well aware of how fucked up this was.</p><p>He was aware of how selfish he was.</p><p>He was aware of how awful a person he had become.</p><p>And yet he still wasn’t able to stop.</p><p>He had almost said no when the head of the department said she wanted to send Stephen to a conference in Los Angeles. It’s not that he wasn’t interested. He just knew that being that close to Tony would likely result in bad decisions being made.</p><p>Of course, he had been right.</p><p>Stephen would swear up and down that the text he had sent Tony upon landing was totally innocent. He had simply asked for restaurant recommendations.</p><p>And, yes, that lead to him spending every single night that week at Tony’s mansion. But he hadn’t planned on that.</p><p>The most he had planned on was one night, maybe.</p><p>That first night, Stephen could tell right away that something was different with Tony. He knew he hadn’t seen the other man much recently over the last decade or so, but he was still able to pick up on it.</p><p>His thoughts had been quashed when, after half a glass of wine and before they had even discussed where to go to dinner, they had ended up naked on Tony’s couch.</p><p>As it turned out, they had sex virtually everywhere possible in Tony’s mansion over the following four nights. And one day, the last, when Stephen had decided to skip the remainder of the conference to trade blow jobs by the pool in the perfect California sunshine.</p><p>Over the course of the week, they had managed not to fight. Argue, sure, but no major blow outs, which was a huge plus as far as Stephen was concerned. They didn’t talk much, to be fair, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.</p><p>As they were about to illustrate.</p><p>Stephen was taking a red eye back to New York, which he was planning on sleeping through. He was pretty sure that wouldn’t be a problem, given how much energy he had just expelled by fucking Tony up against the glass of the billionaire’s massive shower.</p><p>Tony had exited shortly after rinsing as much of Stephen as he could from his body. The taller man opted to stay behind for a few minutes to clean himself up properly before his long flight. He dried off and put his boxers back on before going back into the bedroom. Tony was sitting on the bed, his back to Stephen, wearing only boxers and a t shirt at the moment.</p><p>He seemed to be lost in thought. Stephen hadn’t planned on commenting.</p><p>He grabbed the pair of jeans from the floor that he had thought were his. When he realized they weren’t, he dropped them back to the carpet and crossed to where his had ended up. As he was pulling them on, he spotted a glint of sunlight on something that had apparently fallen from Tony’s jeans when he had grabbed them by accident.</p><p>Stephen was prepared to ignore it and begin searching for his socks when it dawned on him what it was.</p><p>And that it was the reason for why Tony had seemed off this week.</p><p>He crossed back over to where it lay on the floor and picked up the small glass container.</p><p>“Are you fucking kidding me?”</p><p>Tony glanced over his shoulder at Stephen. He looked at him as if he were holding a scrap piece of paper he had found, and not a vial of cocaine.</p><p>He made no attempt at a response.</p><p>“What the hell is wrong with you?” Stephen wanted to know. He threw the vial as hard as he could, hoping to smash it against the wall.</p><p>Instead, it struck Tony’s shoulder and fell to the bed next to him.</p><p>He reached for it, but Stephen was seeing red. He was ripping it away from where it had landed to keep it away from the other man before he had even realized he had bolted over to the bed.</p><p>“Are you going to say anything?”</p><p>Tony shrugged. “What do you want me to say?” he asked. “Would it help to remind you that you have absolutely zero right to say anything to me about what I do with my life?"</p><p>Stephen admitted to himself that Tony had a point there. But that certainly wasn’t going to stop him.</p><p>“I thought you were clean now.”</p><p>Tony huffed. “What gave you that idea?”</p><p>“At the hospital,” Stephen stammered. “You said you couldn’t take anything stronger than Tylenol.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Tony agreed. “I’m staying away from opiates. You’re a doctor, you should know-”</p><p>“Why?” Stephen interrupted. “Why are you doing this?”</p><p>“Why am I doing this?!” Tony erupted, suddenly getting to his feet. “Doing what? Cocaine? Maybe because there’s only so many hours in the day that I have to get an impossible amount of bullshit done and sometimes I need a little extra edge. Maybe because my ex who isn’t even my fucking ex keeps coming around to fuck me whenever he feels up for it."</p><p>“Jesus fucking Christ,” Stephen hissed. “So it’s my fault you’re a drug addict?”</p><p>“You certainly didn’t help.”</p><p>“Fuck you,” Stephen spat. “God damn it, Tony. I’m sick of this. I am so sick of you playing the victim card. You can’t put this all on me. I have never forced you to do something you didn’t want. You started this, back then and again now.”</p><p>“What?” That single word held enough venom for an entire monologue, in a way only Tony Stark could manage.</p><p>“You egged me on in your apartment that night. You baited me, you said it yourself. And at the gala, you were the one who dragged me into the closet and immediately got on your knees for me. I didn’t-”</p><p>“Didn’t what?” Tony asked. “Didn’t want any of that? So I forced you?”</p><p>“No,” Stephen immediately said, knowing how far that could spiral out of control. “But this isn’t all my fault. You’re not innocent in this. You’re to blame as much as I am.”</p><p>Tony breathed a humorless laugh. “How do you figure?” he challenged.</p><p>“Do you have any idea how difficult you were? How impossible you are?” Stephen asked before he could stop himself. “You have such a fucking selective memory. Turning everything into something more than it was, and focusing only on what I did wrong and nothing you did wrong.”</p><p>“The only thing I did wrong was care about you.”</p><p>Stephen scoffed. “I seem to remember you caring more about getting high than me.”</p><p>Tony’s stare turned Stephen’s blood cold.</p><p>“I didn’t care?” he asked. Stephen just stood there. “Then fine. You can take this back.”</p><p>He disappeared into his walk in closet, only to reemerge seconds later. Stephen dropped the illicit drugs he still had in his hand when Tony shoved the bundle into his stomach.</p><p>Stephen recognized what it was without having to unfold it.</p><p>The black sweatpants and red faded Nebraska t shirt Tony had been wearing that night at Stephen’s apartment.</p><p>The night before his graduation.</p><p>Stephen stared down at them in astonishment. He was about to look up at Tony when he noticed there was something in between the shirt and sweatpants. He folded the shirt back to reveal a large, black velvet box.</p><p>His eyes looked up to meet Tony’s. “What is this?” he asked, his voice now very weak.</p><p>“I never got the chance to give it to you,” was Tony’s answer.</p><p>He was out of the room before Stephen was able to formulate another sentence.</p><p>Stephen sat down heavily on the end of the bed. He put the clothes to the side and sat with the box in his hands for what felt like hours.</p><p>When he finally opened it, he found a simple white note card bearing Tony’s easily identifiable handwriting.</p><p>
  <em>I hear people really hate it when doctors are late, so I hope this helps. </em>
</p><p>Stephen lifted the card to reveal the most beautiful watch he had ever seen.</p><p>A Tag Heuer Chronograph. A sleek silver band. A perfectly sized dial. A dark blue face with brilliant silver hands.</p><p>But for some reason, Stephen’s eyes stayed trained on Tony’s note.</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen was never able to determine how Tony had figured out it was his birthday.</p><p>But an hour or so into the day, he stopped caring.</p><p>Stephen’s twentieth birthday fell on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. A lot of the inhabitants of the city had already left to get a jump on the holiday, which meant he and Tony didn’t run into many crowds during their adventures.</p><p>Tony had planned the entire day, starting with breakfast at Stephen’s favorite diner. Next they spent almost three hours in the museum of science before making their way over to the aquarium.</p><p>Stephen was grinning ear to ear as he watched Tony enthusiastically talk about the penguin exhibit.</p><p>“What?” he asked when he finally noticed Stephen’s expression.</p><p>“Nothing,” Stephen shrugged. “You’re just really fucking cute when you get excited about something.”</p><p>Tony narrowed his eyes. “I’m not cute,” he huffed. “They’re cute,” he said, flicking his head towards the penguins, but keeping his eyes on Stephen’s.</p><p>“Oh they’re very cute,” Stephen agreed, “but that doesn’t mean you’re not.”</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes, but the blush on his cheeks betrayed him.</p><p>They ate dinner at a hole in the wall place that had the best pizza either of them had ever tasted. They walked back to Stephen’s apartment, arguing over their favorite exhibits and animals they had seen.</p><p>Tony was still making his case for the Mathematica exhibit when Stephen silenced him with a hard kiss, pushing him back against the door until it closed and Tony was pressed firmly against him. The kiss intensified immediately thanks to their wandering hands. Stephen pulled his lips from Tony’s to mouth across his jaw down to his neck.</p><p>“This argument isn’t over,” Tony panted.</p><p>Stephen hummed thoughtfully. “Would you rather continue the discussion instead?” he asked, rolling his hips forward against Tony’s as he sucked on the rather sensitive spot behind Tony’s right ear.</p><p>“I’m actually willing to admit defeat on the condition that your dick is in my mouth within the next thirty seconds.”</p><p>Stephen was able to accommodate that.</p><p>He got them on the bed and undressed in record time. Both of his hands were clutching at Tony’s hair as the other man slowly sucked up and down his aching erection. Stephen could hear every noise coming from between his legs. He watched as Tony repeatedly took the entirety of his dick down his throat effortlessly.</p><p>“Fuck, Tony,” Stephen moaned. “If you don’t stop I’m going to come.”</p><p>Tony didn’t stop.</p><p>He sped up his pace just enough to make Stephen’s breaths come in pants. He started stroking Stephen’s balls and looked up at him through his eyelashes, cheeks flushed, lips red and swollen as they stretched around Stephen’s cock.</p><p>Stephen came as soon as their eyes met.</p><p>He alternated between moaning and swearing as Tony continued to suck him, milking every drop of his orgasm from him. When he finally let the softening dick fall from his mouth, Stephen immediately tugged on his hair until he was able to seal their lips back together.</p><p>Stephen braced his knees against Tony’s waist and thrust up against the hardness above him. He licked every part of the inside of Tony’s mouth he could reach with his tongue. He let one hand grip Tony’s ass to pull him down harder while the other slipped between them to grasp Tony’s stiff cock.</p><p>“Tell me what you want, birthday boy,” Tony muttered into Stephen’s mouth.</p><p>Stephen shuddered. He loved how vocal Tony was during sex.</p><p>“I want...” his voice started to fail him, so he swallowed hard to try and regain control. “I want you inside me.”</p><p>Tony suddenly pulled back enough so he could look down into Stephen’s eyes. Stephen moved his hand from between them to cup the back of Tony’s neck.</p><p>“I know we’ve always done it the other way around,” Stephen stammered, “but I always wanted to, uh, experience both. I’ve just never been on the bottom with anyone before.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” Tony asked softly.</p><p>Stephen was nodding before Tony even spoke. “I want this, I want you.” He pulled Tony down to kiss him soundly. “I want it to be you, Tony.”</p><p>He felt goosebumps break out across Tony’s skin.</p><p>“Okay,” Tony breathed.</p><p>He kissed Stephen slowly. He let the other man set the pace, which increased steadily. He could feel Stephen’s dick stirring again as it pressed into his hip. He shifted to brush their cocks together until Stephen was bucking up against him.</p><p>“Tony, please,” Stephen pleaded, his grip in Tony’s hair tightening.</p><p>Tony nodded almost dumbly. He retrieved the lube, but made no move to open it just yet. He took a steadying breath as he braced himself over Stephen, who looked up at him expectantly.</p><p>“Tell me if it gets to be too much,” Tony said gently. “If you tell me to slow down, or to stop, I will. I promise I will.”</p><p>Stephen nodded, his mouth too dry to form words.</p><p>Tony settled back between Stephen’s knees, spreading them carefully. He helped Stephen tuck a pillow under his hips before opening the bottle of lube and pouring a generous amount onto his hand.</p><p>He circled his forefinger around Stephen’s rim slowly.</p><p>“Breathe, Stephen,” Tony instructed calmly.</p><p>Stephen took a few deep breaths before Tony was pushing his finger into his body. He gasped at the feeling, but it soon turned to a breathy moan as Tony started moving it in and out.</p><p>Tony talked him through the entire thing. He kept checking to make sure he was okay, and letting him know what he was going to do next.</p><p>It took several minutes, but by the time Tony was stretching three fingers in and out of Stephen, he was all but panting. He gripped Tony’s shoulders tightly and jerked his hips to try and pull Tony’s fingers deeper.</p><p>“I’m ready,” he decided. “Please, Tony, I need you now.”</p><p>But Tony didn’t stop stretching Stephen. He didn’t want to tease him, but there was no way in hell he was going to risk hurting him.</p><p>“I’ve got you, baby,” Tony promised. “Almost there.”</p><p>Stephen felt his cock twitch at Tony’s pet name as much as the tone of his voice.</p><p>What felt like an eternity later, Tony was withdrawing his fingers to add more lube to Stephen’s rim before slicking up his own erection. He moved so his hips were hovering over Stephen’s, gripping the base of his dick to hold it steady between Stephen’s legs.</p><p>Stephen kept his eyes trained on Tony’s. He nodded, but realized that wasn’t going to get Tony to move.</p><p>“Please, Tony,” he exhaled. “I need it to be you.”</p><p>Tony used his left hand to hold Stephen’s hip as he slowly pressed forward into the tight heat of Stephen’s body. He moved so his head was next to Stephen’s.</p><p>“Breathe,” Tony managed to remind him as the air in his own lungs started to escape.</p><p>Tony was halfway sheathed when he felt Stephen tense beneath him. He stilled his hips, but Stephen’s hands slid from his shoulder down to his waist.</p><p>“Don’t stop,” Stephen plead. “Just...go slow.”</p><p>Tony nodded before kissing Stephen’s neck. He inched the rest of the way into Stephen’s channel until he bottomed out, moaning when his hips came flush against Stephen’s.</p><p>They breathed together for a few seconds before Stephen was shifting under Tony.</p><p>“Move,” he almost begged. “God, Tony, please move.”</p><p>Tony dragged his cock back slowly until he was halfway out before easing back in. He moved out a bit more each time, until eventually, he left only the head inside, sliding his entire length in and out almost methodically.</p><p>He moved to hold himself up to be able to watch Stephen. His pupils were blown wide, sweat glistening on his forehead. Tony kissed his cheek, his neck, his shoulder, all as he moved slowly.</p><p>When he finally pressed into Stephen’s prostate, it was as if he had struck gold.</p><p>“Fuck!” Stephen almost screamed. Tony stilled instantly, terrified at first he had hurt him. But Stephen was shaking his head emphatically. “No no no don’t stop,” he panted. “Do that again.”</p><p>Tony obeyed.</p><p>All in all, it hadn’t been perfect. It was awkward at first, and a bit sloppy. But neither one of them would have changed a thing.</p><p>Tony kept his movements slow and steady, never increasing his speed. He wrapped his hand around Stephen’s heated cock and stroked it in time with his thrusts. He focused attention on the sensitive head at the same time he came into contact with Stephen’s prostate.</p><p>“Oh my god,” Stephen keened. “Fuck Tony. I’m going to come.”</p><p>“Good,” Tony moaned. “I want you to, Stephen. I want you to come for me.” Stephen’s eyes fell closed and his back arched off the bed. “You feel so perfect, baby,” Tony praised. “Let go.”</p><p>Stephen came with a cry. Tony kept moving inside him, fucking him through it slowly. Stephen bit into Tony’s shoulder as his orgasm ripped through him. He barely noted Tony’s cock pulsing inside him as he himself came.</p><p>Stephen fell back onto the bed feeling like all the bones had been removed from his body. He let out a long exhale as he felt Tony gently slide out of him. His heart was pounding in his ears and his entire body was trembling slightly.</p><p>“Stephen?” Tony’s voice was shaky. “Are you okay?”</p><p>He opened his eyes to look over at Tony, who was leaning on his left side, still half on top of Stephen.</p><p>“Yeah,” he breathed, and could feel a smile tugging onto his lips, until his vision cleared enough to get a good look at Tony. “Jesus,” he cursed. He lifted an unsteady hand to brush over the bite mark he had left on Tony’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”</p><p>“It’s okay,” Tony cut him off with a short laugh. “I hardly even noticed it.” He reached over and swiped his thumb across Stephen’s cheek. “What do you need?” Stephen just stared at him, in total awe of the other man. It wasn’t the first time, and it wasn’t going to be the last.</p><p>“Stephen?” Tony prompted, concern edging his voice.</p><p>His answer came in the form of craning his neck so he could press his lips to Tony’s.</p><p>“I don’t need anything,” he finally replied. He stopped himself from adding anything else by kissing Tony again.</p><p><em>I just need you</em> flowed through his mind as they kissed slowly, but he eventually managed to ignore it.</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen watched from the other side of the country as Tony slowly fell apart.</p><p>He read every headline almost obsessively. All the rumors regarding who he had been sleeping with. The speculation that he was back in rehab almost every other day. Reports that the Stark Industries board of directors were planning to file an injunction against him and then remove him from the company entirely.</p><p>Stephen picked up his phone no less than three times per day with the intent of calling Tony. He never followed through, however, because he didn’t have a single clue of what he would say to the other man.</p><p>Tony didn’t want an apology, Stephen knew that much.</p><p>So what the hell would he say?</p><p>He never called. He just kept reading the gossip and letting himself be slowly driven insane.</p><p>He wanted to help Tony, he really did. But he had never been particularly good at doing that.</p><p>***</p><p>Tony kissed Stephen before the other man had even had a chance to open the door all the way.</p><p>Stephen stumbled several steps into his apartment as Tony’s momentum forced him backwards. He recoiled at the sudden bitter taste invading his mouth. Stephen knew it was the taste of cocaine without ever having experienced the drug himself.</p><p>He managed to push Tony away by his shoulders, and had to hold him in place at arm’s length. When he was able to get a good look at Tony, his heart dropped to his stomach.</p><p>The other man was clearly high. He was sweating despite the fact that it was December. His pupils were almost non existent, and his skin was cold and clammy. Stephen had seen him on cocaine before, multiple times in fact. But something about this was very different.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Stephen asked.</p><p>Tony laughed. “Nothing.”</p><p>He surged forward and seized Stephen’s lips again. Stephen was barely able to support Tony’s weight as he forced himself forward against Stephen. He dropped his hands to Tony’s hips to try and steady them, but almost tripped when Tony shed his jacket and let it fall to the floor.</p><p>“Stop,” Stephen breathed when he was able to regain control over his own mouth. “Something is-”</p><p>“Nothing is wrong,” Tony repeated. He tugged at Stephen’s shirt incessantly. “I just want you to fuck me. Right now.”</p><p>Stephen could feel Tony’s heart racing against his chest. His breathing was erratic at best.</p><p>“You’re high,” Stephen pointed out lamely.</p><p>Tony huffed. “Never stopped you before.”</p><p>“This is different,” Stephen insisted. “What’s going on?”</p><p>“You’re being a cock block while I’m trying to get laid,” Tony muttered. He moved to kiss Stephen again, but was stopped as he was seized by his elbows and held firmly.</p><p>“Tony,” Stephen said as calmly as he could despite his rising panic. “You’re not okay.”</p><p>He watched as Tony’s bloodshot eyes suddenly filled with tears.</p><p>“Yeah, no shit,” he agreed. “But what difference does it make?”</p><p>“It makes all the difference. Do you want me to call Rhodey?”</p><p>Tony shook his head. “No. He’s in Philly already.”</p><p>Stephen shook his head once. “I thought you go with him for Christmas?”</p><p>“I make him go a few days early so he gets to spend time with his family without me fucking it all up,” Tony rambled. He tried to pull Stephen back to him. “Just fuck me, Stephen. I just need you so that I can stop...” he trailed off and started to sway slightly on his feet.</p><p>“I’m not going to do anything to you,” Stephen declared. “Not like this. Tell me what’s wrong.”</p><p>Tony shook his head. “I’m not high enough.” He went to turn away, but Stephen tried to hold in place. Tony forced his hands away, and when Stephen tried to steady him again, Tony shoved him so hard he fell back onto the bed.</p><p>Stephen was so stunned that he wasn’t able to stand until Tony was way ahead of him out the door.</p><p>He called after him, but Tony had disappeared by the time Stephen made it out of his building. He swore as he ran back inside to grab his keys and jacket. He was shrugging it on as he held his phone to his ear, and stopped with the sleeves only halfway up his forearms when he heard buzzing coming from the floor next to his bed.</p><p>Tony’s phone was in his discarded jacket.</p><p>So Stephen was on his own.</p><p>He went to the bar they frequented, hoping to find him there, but with no lucky. He wandered around that neighborhood, trying to think of where else Tony would go. He was about to head towards Tony’s apartment when the newscast on the tv of the third bar in the last hour Stephen was trying made him stop dead in his tracks.</p><p>“<em>...fifth anniversary of the deaths of Howard and Maria Stark. Obadiah Stane was seen at the Stark’s grave site in Manhattan paying his respects. A statement released by the company...”</em></p><p>The rest of what the reporter was saying was drowned out as Stephen stared up at the pictures that were flashing on the screen of a young Tony, no more than eight or nine years old, with Howard in the workshop. Followed by a shot of a pale seventeen-year-old standing in the cemetery, looking down at his parent’s headstones.</p><p>Stephen left the bar in a hurry to go back to his apartment, his plan being to use Tony’s phone to call Rhodey and figure out what the hell he was supposed to do. He was in such a panic that he hadn’t even realized his apartment door was open until he saw Tony stooping to pick up his jacket. He stopped when he heard Stephen come into the room. Stephen was able to suppress his sigh of relief. His throat clenched at the sight of Tony now, clearly crashing from his high.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he croaked, voice almost completely gone. He plucked his jacket from the floor and stumbled towards where Stephen was standing, apparently planning on just walking out again.</p><p>“Hey,” Stephen said softly. He stepped in front of Tony and held up his hands to show he meant no harm. “You don’t have to leave.”</p><p>Tony frowned in confusion. “What?”</p><p>“You can stay,” Stephen said.</p><p>Sudden realization seemed to dawn on him. “Oh,” he breathed before dropping his jacket again. He fell to his knees and reached for Stephen’s belt so swiftly that Stephen wasn’t even able to react for a few seconds. He stopped Tony’s hands with his own, unable to form words.</p><p>Tony looked up at him quizzically. “I thought you wanted me to-”</p><p>“No,” Stephen exhaled. “I want you to stay, but not for...this. That’s not what I meant.”</p><p>Stephen carefully pulled Tony back to his feet. He watched as the other man tried to make sense of the situation. It made Stephen feel sick to his stomach.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Tony said again. “I know this is stupid.”</p><p>“It’s not.”</p><p>Tony sighed. “You know?”</p><p>“I saw it on tv,” Stephen nodded.</p><p>“I didn’t...” Tony stammered, shaking his head. “I just can’t...”</p><p>Stephen stepped forward as Tony began to shake almost uncontrollably. He gently pulled him over to the bed and guided him down, wrapping the quilt around him the best he could.</p><p>“Just rest, Tony,” Stephen said. “Try and get some sleep.”</p><p>Tony squeezed his eyes shut against the tears that started to overflow. His shoulders shook with the silent sobs escaping. Stephen laid down next to him, running his hand up and down Tony’s back silently until the other man had finally passed out.</p><p>Stephen didn’t sleep a wink.</p><p>He sat there all night, Tony pressed against his side, absolutely scared to death.</p><p>This had all happened so suddenly. Stephen had known Tony liked to drink, and dabbled in drugs. But this was...explosive. He had never seen Tony the way he had seen him tonight.</p><p>It made Stephen realize how human the other man was. That Tony had baggage. Just like he did.</p><p>The reality of the situation setting in hit Stephen like a ton of bricks.</p><p>Running around with Tony had been fantastic. Someone who could finally keep up with his sarcasm and wit. Mind blowing sex. Lots of mind blowing sex.</p><p>But now, this was more than that. Tony had come to him in a moment of pure vulnerability and desperation, and had later assumed that sex was the only reason Stephen hadn’t wanted him to leave.</p><p>The more he thought about it all, the more Stephen realized it had gotten out of control. Out of his control.</p><p>And he couldn’t have that.</p><p>Before he had even realized the sun had come up, Tony was stirring next to him. He removed his arm and shifted slightly to the side, watching quietly as Tony started to wake up.</p><p>When he opened his eyes and looked up at Stephen, there was a brief moment of pure happiness in his eyes.</p><p>It was quickly replaced by grief and shame when he remembered.</p><p>“Fuck,” he groaned. He rolled onto his back and grabbed fistfuls of his own hair. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>Stephen found that he wasn’t able to speak, despite his mind racing all night. He just sat there as Tony sat up slowly and looked over at him.</p><p>“I shouldn’t have come here last night,” he mumbled. “I just...it’s always a tough day.”</p><p>“It’s okay,” Stephen finally said. His voice was flat.</p><p>Tony cocked an eyebrow. “Doesn’t sound like even you believe that.”</p><p>Stephen dropped his eyes to his hands now clasped in his lap. “I just wasn’t expecting it, I guess.”</p><p>Tony felt his throat thickening as he looked at the man next to him. “Stephen?”</p><p>Stephen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I think, uh, I think we need to talk.”</p><p>Tony sighed heavily. “Yeah.”</p><p>“Do you remember last night?” Stephen asked. He kept his eyes on his hands.</p><p>“I think so. For the most part.”</p><p>“Do you remember when you were going to leave and I asked you to stay?” Tony shook his head slowly. “Well, you thought...” Stephen swallowed hard. “You thought it was just because I wanted sex.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“You immediately got on your knees and reached for...me.”</p><p>Tony breathed a short laugh. “Jesus Christ I’m fucking dramatic.”</p><p>“You weren’t being dramatic,” Stephen retorted. “I think, uh, I think this has gotten away from us.” He waved his hand between them as he spoke.</p><p>Tony wished Stephen would look at him so he could get a better read on the other man. But he wasn’t, and Tony was exhausted. His head was pounding, and he felt so incredibly weak.</p><p>So he just went for it.</p><p>“I think you’re right,” he agreed. “But I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I mean, I think it’s good. Between us. Isn’t it?”</p><p>Stephen finally looked at him, and Tony swore he saw hope reflected in those gray eyes.</p><p>He hadn’t been wrong.</p><p>Stephen just wasn’t willing to admit that.</p><p>“I have feelings for you,” Tony was suddenly saying. “Other than just being attracted to you. I...think maybe we could-”</p><p>“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Stephen interrupted as he dropped his eyes back away from Tony’s.</p><p>Tony tried to take a deep breath, but it stuttered in his chest. “Y-yeah...” he stammered. “I get that.”</p><p>He was spared from Stephen laying the rest out for him by his phone buzzing, still in his jacket pocket on the floor. He quickly leaned out of the bed to grab it, never before so happy to have a phone call to take.</p><p>“Hey, Rhodey.”</p><p>Stephen listened to Tony’s side of the phone call as he tried to get his heartbeat under control.</p><p>“I’m okay. I know, I’m sorry. I just...I fucked up. No surprise there. I’m fine though, I promise. I just passed out and left my phone and...” he stopped as he listened to Rhodey. “Okay. I just need to finish up some stuff, I’ll head out tomorrow. Right. Today. That’s what I meant.”</p><p>Tony swung his legs off the side of the bed and stood. “I’ll be there for dinner, I promise.”</p><p>He slid his phone into his wrinkled jeans and quickly put on his jacket.</p><p>Stephen didn’t look up at him.</p><p>“Thank you, for letting me stay here last night,” Tony murmured. “I’m really sorry that I showed up like that. I just...” he suddenly turned away against the sting of tears in his eyes. “Bye, Stephen.”</p><p>He let Tony leave without another word, telling himself it was what was best for the both of them.</p><p>***</p><p>Tony had made it through almost three hours of testimony before he was held in contempt and taken into custody.</p><p>In his defense, he did it on purpose.</p><p>Justin Hammer’s criminal case moved quickly through the court system. The civil lawsuits were of course moving much slower, but those who had been injured during the attack on the Expo were hoping a verdict would expedite things.</p><p>That line of questioning is what had pushed Tony over the edge.</p><p>Hammer’s defense attorney was even more obnoxious than he was. Which Tony couldn’t help but point out.</p><p>“Isn’t it true you paid for the treatment of everyone who attended the Expo?”</p><p>“No, only the ones who were hurt thanks to Hammer conspiring with a terror-”</p><p>“Objection! The witness continues to refuse to answer my questions!”</p><p>“I am answering them, you just don’t like what I have to say.”</p><p>“Mr. Stark,” the judge said in a warning tone. “Please only respond to questions posed to you by counsel.”</p><p>“That’s what I’m trying to do,” Tony argued. “But this jackass won’t-”</p><p>“Mr. Stark.”</p><p>“Sorry. Attorney Jackass won’t let me.”</p><p>“Your Honor, permission to treat this witness as hostile.”</p><p>“Of course I’m fucking hostile,” Tony scoffed, earning a gasp from most of the jurors. “Yes. I paid for their treatment so that innocent people wouldn’t have to sit around and wait for Justin fucking Hammer to do the right thing."</p><p>“Mister. Stark. I will not tell you again. This is a court of law, and you will respect it.”</p><p>Tony decided at that point he had had enough of this.</p><p>“You paid because you felt guilty,” the attorney said.</p><p>“That’s not a question,” the prosecutor tried to object, but Tony talked right over her.</p><p>“Of course I felt guilty. People who were just trying to enjoy their night were seriously hurt because a guy I went to college with still hates me. I wasn’t going to let them be out thousands of dollars because of that.”</p><p>“Because of you?”</p><p>“Yeah. I’m the one who fucking attacked everyone with drones and tried to kill myself,” Tony spat. “Let’s just blame it all on me and let Hammer walk right out of here to go and continue to be a douchebag.”</p><p>The judge was instructing the court officer to take Tony into custody before he had even stopped talking.</p><p>All in all, he would say it was worth it.</p><p>He spent two hours in lockup before being released upon the payment of a $20,000 fine. The government elected not to recall him as a witness.</p><p>He would have paid a lot more for the same result.</p><p>Pepper hadn’t even yelled at him. She saw the exhaustion on his face and just let it be.</p><p>Stephen was watching the footage from the trial on the six o’clock news when his phone rang.</p><p>He assumed it was the hospital and answered without taking his eyes off the tv.</p><p>“I need your help.”</p><p>Tony’s voice coming through the speaker was certainly a surprise. Stephen pulled the phone away to look at the contact info on the screen just to make sure he wasn’t imagining things.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Stephen asked.</p><p>He heard Tony breathe a laugh on the other end. “I don’t even fucking know how to answer that.”</p><p>“Okay. What do you need?”</p><p>“You.”</p><p>Stephen felt his heart jump into his throat. “Where are you?”</p><p>He was knocking on the door to Tony’s hotel room with zero recollection of how he got there.</p><p>Stephen entered the room slowly after Tony let him in. The other man immediately retreated backwards and looked like he was on the verge of collapsing. Stephen stood completely still, as if any movement would send Tony over the edge.</p><p>“I’m not high,” Tony huffed out of nowhere.</p><p>“I didn’t think-”</p><p>“I’m not,” Tony repeated. “I just want to be. And I need you to stop me.”</p><p>Stephen nodded slowly. “Okay.”</p><p>“I don’t want to be a fucking drug addict,” Tony choked out. He was bordering on full on mania. “I don’t want to drink until my brain shuts off. I don’t want to...” he tried to catch his breath, but couldn’t. He fell onto the corner of the bed heavily. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”</p><p>“Do what?” Stephen asked hesitantly. He slowly crossed the room and sat on the bed next to Tony, who just looked at him blankly. “Tony, you know I’m awful at this. I don’t know what you need me to do.”</p><p>A single tear slipped from Tony’s left eye. He stared at Stephen for several moments, his deep brown eyes glistening.</p><p>“I really wish I could just fucking hate you.”</p><p>His voice was so broken Stephen almost hadn’t heard him.</p><p>“Me too.”</p><p>“Were you ever happy? Even a little bit?”</p><p>Stephen wished he could grow a spine for once and finally come clean to Tony. He wished he could do the right thing and ease the other man’s pain.</p><p>But he couldn’t connect his brain to his mouth in time.</p><p>“You know what, don’t answer that,” Tony was saying. “Just kiss me.”</p><p>Stephen swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Is that what you really want?” Stephen asked softly. “I didn’t come here to take advantage of you. I never wanted to...” he shook his head slowly. “I don’t know what to do. But I just need to know-”</p><p>“Stephen,” Tony interrupted. He reached up with a shaky hand and cupped Stephen’s cheek. “Just fucking kiss me.”</p><p>Well, that Stephen did know how to do.</p><p>He always knew how to at least make Tony feel better physically.</p><p>Stephen licked into Tony’s mouth slowly, and the other man melted against him. It wasn’t their usual burst of lust overflowing. There was the same heat and passion, but it was much slower this time.</p><p>Tony let himself be laid out on the bed as Stephen kept kissing him. He shed their clothing almost tentatively, replacing the fabric with his hands all over Tony’s body.</p><p>They didn’t talk like they usually did. Stephen instead listened to the breaths leaving Tony’s lungs as he kissed his way down his chest. He went slowly, but didn’t drag it out. He could feel the desire radiating off of Tony, and just wanted to give him what he needed.</p><p>Stephen sucked his cock thoroughly before moving back up to kiss him soundly. The prep was almost nonexistent as Tony’s desperation boiled over and he wrapped his legs around Stephen’s waist and all but forced their bodies together.</p><p>Tony felt like his senses were dialed to eleven. The weight of Stephen on top of him was close to too much, but he also knew that he would likely implode without it. He gripped Stephen’s shoulders as they rocked together, panting against his neck in time with Stephen’s dick sliding in and out of his throbbing channel. He would have been embarrassed at how quickly he came if he was able to form a coherent thought.</p><p>Stephen didn’t leave after.</p><p>Neither of them ever commented on it.</p><p>***</p><p>They hadn’t commented on it years and years before, either, when they went right back to each other after Tony returned from Philadelphia for Christmas.</p><p>Tony had called Stephen to apologize again. He asked to buy Stephen a coffee to try and make up for it.</p><p>Which turned into Tony blowing him in the back of his car, unable to even make it to either of their apartments before their tongues were down each other’s throats.</p><p>They both pretended that if they told themselves it didn’t mean anything, then it wouldn’t mean anything.</p><p>That worked about as well as it sounds.</p><p>***</p><p>Tony would call Stephen whenever he was in New York, which gradually increased in frequency.</p><p>Sometimes he would go to Stephen’s apartment. Sometimes Stephen would come to his hotel room. Whichever way it went, there was never a rush for whoever was visiting to leave anymore.</p><p>They were finally able to hold a conversation without one of them picking a fight.</p><p>Tony was finally able to smile at Stephen without feeling like his heart was going to break.</p><p>Stephen was finally able to let himself breathe with Tony asleep next to him.</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen had hated from the very beginning how easily Tony was able to get a rise out of him.</p><p>He knew he didn’t have any right to get upset when Tony’s attention was on someone else. He had been the one to cut short any sort of discussion about anything other than a physical relationship between them, after all. Why couldn’t they just have fun hanging out together while also fucking whenever they wanted? Was that so complicated?</p><p>It was very, very complicated.</p><p>As the night was about to prove.</p><p>Everyone was celebrating the end of finals. Stephen’s junior year had finally come to a close. He was making a point to drink enough to keep himself from thinking about how fast the last two years had passed.</p><p>About how his...friendship...with Tony had developed.</p><p>His best efforts of not thinking about such things were quashed upon seeing an older, taller, more muscular man slinging his arms around Tony’s shoulders and leading him out the back door of the bar.</p><p>Stephen had kept his distance most of the night to try to prove to himself (and Tony) that this was still just a casual thing. Every time Tony got too close, Stephen was sure to push him away just enough.</p><p>But tonight, he was just drunk enough to get jealous and act irrationally.</p><p>So he walked the fifty plus minutes to Tony’s apartment, banging his anger out on the door obnoxiously. He remembered in the back of his mind that Rhodey was away at basic training, which just fueled his fury. Why, he wasn’t quite sure.</p><p>He heard muffled shuffling from the other side of the door through the thick wood, but no answer to his incessant knocking came.</p><p>“Tony, I know you’re in there,” he called. His buzz from before was pushed down, replaced effectively by his jealousy. “Your fucking car is out front and I can hear you.”</p><p>“Go home, Stephen.” Tony’s voice was just loud enough to make it through.</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry, am I interrupting you fucking that guy?”</p><p>He listened to what was Tony leaning up against the wall of the hall and slowly sliding down to the floor.</p><p>“No one’s here,” he said weakly.</p><p>There was bristling at the back of Stephen’s mind that something was wrong.</p><p>“Then why won’t you open the fucking door?”</p><p>He went to grasp the knob to shake it violently to prove his point. That’s when he saw the blood.</p><p>There wasn’t a lot. Just enough to catch his eye. A smear on the knob, and a few drops on the concrete by his feet.</p><p>Stephen felt his anger vanish.</p><p>“Tony,” he said, dropping his voice considerably. “Open the door.”</p><p>“I can’t,” Tony pleaded. “Just go.”</p><p>Stephen pulled his keys out of his pocket and slid the one for Tony’s door into the lock. When exactly he had been given this key wasn’t something he was able to recall at the moment.</p><p>He opened the door carefully, knowing from Tony’s voice that he had been right behind it. He was on the floor, elbows on his knees, face hidden in his hands and covered by the hood of his sweatshirt. Stephen closed the door softly before kneeling in front of Tony.</p><p>He could see blood from the cuts on the knuckles of Tony’s left hand.</p><p>“I told you to leave.”</p><p>There was no heat behind Tony’s words.</p><p>Stephen gently pulled Tony’s shaking hands from his face and pushed his hood back. His heart promptly skipped several beats.</p><p>Tony had a shiner already forming on his right cheek. His lip was split open. There were scratches on his neck peeking out from under his sweatshirt.</p><p>“What the hell happened?” Stephen breathed.</p><p>Tony let his head fall back against the wall. “It doesn’t matter.”</p><p>Stephen shook his head in disbelief. “Doesn’t matter? How does this not matter?”</p><p>“Please stop.”</p><p>“What happened?” Stephen pressed. He couldn't help it, he was terrified. “Who did this to you?”</p><p>“What do you want to hear?!” Tony exclaimed, standing suddenly. Stephen rose to his feet just as quickly.</p><p>“I just want to know what happened to you.”</p><p>“Want me to lay it all out for you?” Tony challenged. “Do you want to hear that that guy you thought I was fucking was Ty? That he’s the guy who drugged me and forced bourbon down my throat when I was fourteen so he could fuck me? Do you want to know how many times he did that? Or how many times he’s come around since to beat the shit out of me to prove he still has total power over me?”</p><p>Stephen felt completely numb. “I didn’t...”</p><p>“What else do you want to know?” Tony asked. “That you’re the only person I have ever had sex with while sober because I’ve never trusted anyone else enough not to hurt me?"</p><p>Stephen wasn’t sure how he hadn’t gotten sick yet. “I didn’t know that,” he said quietly. “I just saw him and I thought-”</p><p>“I was so fucking scared he would see you,” Tony said, cutting him off. Tears were steadily rolling down his pale cheeks. “I left with him before he saw you and figured out we were...whatever the hell this is. I was terrified that he would...” Tony choked out a sob. “I couldn’t let him hurt you.”</p><p>Stephen was quite certain he would rather have received the beating in Tony’s place.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Stephen all but whispered. “I had no idea...fuck, Tony. I’m so sorry.”</p><p>He stepped forward just in time to catch Tony as he started to fall back to the floor.</p><p>He wrapped his arms around Tony firmly but carefully and let the other man’s weight rest against him. Stephen settled them back onto the floor as Tony trembled in his arms, crying uncontrollably. He reached up to thread his fingers through Tony’s messy curls in order to hold him more securely.</p><p>Neither one of them knew how long they stayed like that. Eventually, Tony got his breathing back under control and started to try and wiggle away from Stephen. He released him reluctantly. Tony returned to his earlier position of burying his face in his hands, wincing at the stinging under his eye.</p><p>“Will you let me help you?” Stephen asked softly.</p><p>Tony breathed an empty laugh. “I’m fine,” he lied. “It’s been much, much worse. This is nothing.”</p><p>Stephen’s heart wrenched. “Do you want me to go?”</p><p>Tony’s next breath came in an almost violent shudder. “No.”</p><p>Stephen nodded to himself before getting off the floor. He rummaged around Rhodey’s bathroom until he found the first aid kit. He had known better than to even bother checking Tony’s. He would have seen it well before now.</p><p>He sat back on the floor next to Tony before putting his hand over Tony’s cut one. The other man let the tension leave his arm so Stephen could draw it down into his lap. He silently cleaned the cuts and wrapped a bandage around it. Even though he was done, he kept Tony’s hand cradled between his own.</p><p>Tony finally opened his eyes and looked over at him.</p><p>He was convinced that this would be it. That he would never see Stephen again after this. His meltdown on the anniversary of his parent’s deaths had started the other man’s apprehension of him. And this was sure to seal the deal.</p><p>But Stephen just looked back at him with a sad smile, and kept holding his hand.</p><p>***</p><p>“I’m proud of you. You know that, right?”</p><p>Stephen’s fingers stilled, only half of the buttons on his shirt closed. He looked up at where Tony was sitting on the bed, pulling his pants on, looking back at him with an easy smile.</p><p>“For what?” Stephen inquired.</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes, but his smile didn’t falter. “You’re right, I shouldn’t be. Because it’s not a surprise that you accomplished everything that you always wanted.”</p><p>Stephen cleared his throat before turning back to his shirt. “Well. I guess I have you to thank for that, don’t I?”</p><p>He had just secured the last button when Tony appeared in front of him.</p><p>“You did it in spite of me. Not because of me.”</p><p>Stephen protest was stopped by Tony’s lips pressing against his.</p><p>***</p><p>“Who the fuck do you think you are?"</p><p>Tony cracked an eye open and squinted at Stephen. He had assumed when he heard the front door open that it was Rhodey coming back from his morning run. He sat up slowly, trying to stifle a yawn.</p><p>“What time is it?” he mumbled, looking around him on his bed for his phone.</p><p>“What the fuck is this?” Stephen demanded, crossing the room to fling an envelope at Tony.</p><p>He knew what it was without having to look at it. There was only one thing he had done that would make Stephen this upset.</p><p>Tony sighed and rubbed at his eyes. “Can I get some coffee first before you murder me?”</p><p>He tried to get out of bed, but Stephen was standing to close to allow for it.</p><p>“I’m not sure where the confusion came in, but I made it pretty god damn clear that I don’t need your charity.”</p><p>“It’s not charity.”</p><p>“It’s five hundred fucking thousand dollars,” Stephen growled. “How is that not charity?”</p><p>“You deserve it,” Tony said with a small shrug. He threw the covers off and moved down the bed enough so he could get out. He stood next to Stephen, stretching his hands over his head as if this was a normal morning.</p><p>“Take it back.”</p><p>Tony let out a short laugh. “It doesn’t work that way.”</p><p>“I don’t want it.”</p><p>“You don’t have it, the loan service does. Technically, you don’t have to use the credit in your account if you don’t want to.”</p><p>“It just so happens to be enough to cover the cost of medical school fucking exactly.”</p><p>Tony nodded. “Well, yeah. I’m good at math. It wasn’t hard to figure out.”</p><p>“Where do you get off-”</p><p>“You said the other day you were nervous Columbia wouldn’t accept you because you can’t afford it,” Tony interrupted. “Right?”</p><p>“That doesn’t mean I wanted you to buy my way in!”</p><p>“I’m not. I didn’t give the money to Columbia, I gave the money to you. They’re going to admit you because you’re qualified and deserve to be there, not because you can afford it. But they might have rejected you because you can’t. Or, you couldn’t, before.”</p><p>“What the hell is wrong with you?” Stephen asked, throwing his hands in the air.</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes. “It’s just money. I have a lot of it.”</p><p>“I’m aware of that,” Stephen spat. “This isn’t paying for pizza or movie tickets. You paid off my Harvard debt and put enough in to cover four years of medical school and living expenses.”</p><p>Tony cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah, I know.”</p><p>“How is this nothing to you?” Stephen wanted to know.</p><p>“It’s not nothing,” Tony argued. “It’s important to me. You’re important to me, whether you let me tell you that or not. This wasn’t a hard decision to make. I sold a few of my shares in the company to a friend of my dad’s looking to invest. So, in a few years, when he wants to retire, he’ll be able to comfortably. And I took the money from that, which I certainly don’t need, and put it into your account so that you can go to the school you’ve wanted since you were, what, thirteen?”</p><p>“Twelve,” Stephen corrected automatically. “And that’s not the point.”</p><p>“Yes, it is,” Tony countered. “The point is, you want to go to medical school. You’re smart enough, you’ve worked hard enough. Money shouldn’t hold you back. So, it’s not going to.”</p><p>Stephen tried his best to hang on to his anger, but he would be lying if he said an enormous weight hadn’t been lifted when he got the letter on the update to his account.</p><p>“I didn’t ask for this.”</p><p>Tony smiled. “I know, and yet I did it anyway. Fully prepared for the fact that you might never talk to me again because of it. But, at least you’d be able to go to Columbia.”</p><p>“I haven’t even gotten in yet.”</p><p>“Yet,” Tony agreed. He yawned again and started to walk out of his room. “Coffee?” he called over his shoulder.</p><p>Stephen really wished it was easier to stay angry at Tony Stark.</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen’s thumb pressed against the faint scar on Tony’s side as he gripped the other man’s waist while Tony rode him. His eyes wandered across the other man’s body, drinking in the toned muscles and tanned skin. He sat up suddenly, shifting his arms around Tony and pulling him down as he fucked up into him.</p><p>The sounds of their bodies pounding together filled the expansive space of Stephen’s bedroom. Tony had showed up about an hour before to pick Stephen up for dinner, but they hadn’t made it out of the apartment. Once Tony had seen Stephen in the navy blue dress pants and pale blue shirt, he had been on him.</p><p>Stephen loosened his grip on Tony’s middle when he felt the other man pushing at his shoulders. He moved back so he could look up at Tony, who started to gradually slow his movements. He reached up with his trembling hands, resting his arms on Stephen’s shoulders and sliding his fingers through his sweaty hair.</p><p>Tony stared into Stephen’s eyes as he took the entirety of Stephen’s cock into his body. He bit his lip almost hard enough to draw blood before pulling himself forward to seal his lips against Stephen’s. They kissed deeply. Stephen’s hands moved from Tony’s back to his shaking thighs. He tried to steady him, but could feel him slowly starting to lose control.</p><p>Stephen rolled them over slowly, staying inside Tony as he pulled at the other man’s hips to position himself over him. Tony wrapped his legs around Stephen, the heels of his feet digging into his ass as he arched his hips off the bed to pull Stephen deeper. He braced his arms on either side of Tony’s ribs, giving him the perfect leverage as he moved in and out of Tony. He kissed across Tony’s collarbones, moaning when Tony’s blunt nails scraped down his back.</p><p>“God, Stephen,” Tony groaned. He panted against Stephen’s neck before gently biting at his earlobe. “Fuck, baby, don’t stop.”</p><p>Stephen gasped. It always affected him to hear Tony say his name like that, to hear Tony let endearments fall from his mouth.</p><p>“I love you like this,” Stephen moaned into Tony’s mouth. “You’re so fucking perfect.”</p><p>He wrapped his hand around Tony’s cock, and after four or five long strokes, Tony was coming, Stephen’s name tumbling from his kiss swollen lips. Stephen followed not long after, spilling deep inside Tony’s pliant body.</p><p>Before exhaustion could settle in, Stephen was tugging Tony to the shower. Their mouths wandered over lips and skin as they let the water wash them clean.</p><p>After drying off, Tony pulled his boxers and t shirt back on before collapsing onto the bed. He barely registered Stephen had donned sweatpants and a t shirt until the other man sat on the edge next to him.</p><p>“I think we missed our reservation,” Tony sighed.</p><p>Stephen smiled. “Well whose fault is that?”</p><p>“Yours,” Tony huffed. “You know how good you looked. Might as well have been wearing scrubs.”</p><p>Stephen laughed. “Pizza or Chinese?” he asked.</p><p>Tony felt his throat suddenly thicken. He had to swallow to ensure his voice wouldn’t fail him. “Dealer’s choice,” he responded almost weakly.</p><p>Stephen’s smile faltered. “Are you okay?”</p><p>Tony nodded. He sat up slowly, resisting the urge to reach out. His leg was pressed against Stephen’s hip, but he made no move for any contact other than that.</p><p>“I’m fine,” he said, forcing a smile to back up his words. “I’ll be better when you feed me.”</p><p>Stephen searched Tony’s eyes, which gave away the range of emotions he was feeling.</p><p>But he didn’t say anything.</p><p>***</p><p>Over the last seven weeks, Tony had seen Stephen only sparingly. He gave the other man space as he studied for the MCAT, only responding when Stephen would reach out to him. He was proud of himself for not bothering him and keeping himself busy with his own work.</p><p>Tony had seen a missed call from Stephen when he got out of the shower. He called back, but no answer. He sent a text asking him how it was going, and after two hours of no response, he was starting to get a little worried.</p><p>He knew how hard Stephen was working. He knew how important this was and that he needed to leave him alone. But he just had a feeling that something was up. So he drove to Stephen’s apartment, trying to talk himself out of it the whole way.</p><p>He wasn’t able to.</p><p>Tony knocked on the door softly. He was contemplating trying to knob after he didn’t hear anything for several moments before it flew open to reveal a very disheveled Stephen on the other side.</p><p>“Now is not a good time, Tony,” Stephen greeted.</p><p>He turned to stalk back to his small desk that was overflowing with books and papers. He left the door open, so Tony let himself in before shutting it silently.</p><p>“I just wanted to check on you,” he said calmly.</p><p>Stephen whirled back around to face Tony. “Well, I’m alive.”</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Tony prompted.</p><p>Stephen threw his hands in the air. “Nothing. I just can’t...” he tried to take a deep breath to calm down, but for some reason, it just sent him over the edge. “I can’t fucking do this. Every practice test I take is awful. There’s no way I’m going to do well enough on this god damn thing.”</p><p>“Of course you are,” Tony said. He took a few steps forward, but stopped when he saw Stephen tense. “Maybe you just need to take a break.”</p><p>“How can I do that?” Stephen demanded. “I can’t take a break. The test is next week, and I waited too long to study for it. I’m not going to get a high enough score, and all of this will be for nothing.”</p><p>“No it won’t.” Tony’s voice was calm, but it wasn’t seeming to help Stephen. “You’re going to do great, and-”</p><p>“You don’t get it!” Stephen yelled. “I’m not you! I’m not a fucking genius!”</p><p>“You’re right, you’re not me,” Tony agreed. He moved until he was within arms reach of Stephen, but didn’t attempt to make any contact just yet. “You work so much harder than I do. You work harder than anyone else I’ve ever met. On top of how smart you are, that’s what makes you so great.”</p><p>Stephen’s breathing was coming in pants. “I can’t fuck this up. It can’t be for nothing. Donna...” he was cut off by a sob breaking through.</p><p>Tony frowned. “Who’s Donna?” he couldn’t help but ask.</p><p>“My sister,” Stephen breathed. “She died, when I was twelve. She drowned, and it was my fault, and I need to make up for it. I need to help other people because I couldn’t help her. I can’t...”</p><p>Tony finally closed the gap to wrap his arms around Stephen. The other man almost collapsed against him, burying his face into Tony’s neck and gripping his shirt as if it were his lifeline. Tony held him up for a long time, letting him cry into his shoulder until he was able to calm down.</p><p>“You don’t have to talk about any of it,” Tony said softly. He pressed one hand firmly in the small of Stephen’s back while the other traced up and down his spine. “But just listen to me for a second, okay?”</p><p>Stephen mumbled something, but didn’t pull away, so Tony took that as an affirmative response.</p><p>“Everything is going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. You will pass that god damn test, there is no doubt about that. But you can’t destroy yourself over it. You aren’t going to pass it right this second. You need to take care of yourself first. Then you can go back to studying, when it’ll actually be effective. Does that make sense?”</p><p>Stephen lifted his head off of Tony and shook it furiously. “I can’t waste any more time, I can’t-”</p><p>“Hey,” Tony stopped him gently. He put his hands on either side of Stephen’s face, wiping his tears away with his thumbs. “You’re not wasting time. The test is next week. You’ve been working so hard. You have time.”</p><p>When Stephen went to retort, Tony continued. “Do you trust me?”</p><p>Stephen’s mouth fell closed. He looked into the brown eyes staring back at him. He felt the urge to suddenly tell Tony exactly how he felt. How sorry he was to have treated him so poorly when Tony was always so good to him. How he wished he hadn’t pushed him away when Tony told him he had feelings for him. He wanted to tell him everything.</p><p>But he didn’t. All he could do was nod slowly.</p><p>“Okay. This is what I want you to do. You’re going to take a long, hot shower. As hot as you can stand it. Then put on clean clothes. Change everything. Socks, boxers, the whole deal. I’m going to go get you some food, you look like you haven’t eaten anything other than coffee in days.”</p><p>Stephen was suddenly too weak to protest. So he just kept nodding.</p><p>“After you eat, you’re going to rest. No more studying today, okay?”</p><p>“Are you going to stay?” Stephen really hadn’t meant to sound so desperate.</p><p>“If you want me to, then yeah. We can watch a movie. Or go for a walk. Whatever you want, so long as it has nothing to do with medicine.”</p><p>Stephen exhaled. It turned into a brief laugh at the end.</p><p>Tony pulled him into another hug. “You’re going to be okay, Stephen,” he said again, kissing his cheek before releasing him. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Take all the time you need, okay?”</p><p>Stephen swallowed and nodded again. He watched as Tony left the apartment before going to sit on his bed. He took as many deep breaths as he could until he felt himself regaining energy.</p><p>He got up and went into the bathroom. He did what Tony said and stood in the shower for as long as he could before the hot water started to turn cold. He dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist as he went over to his dresser, where he took out his favorite sweatpants and softest t shirt. He pulled on clean boxers and socks. He was rubbing his wet hair with a towel when Tony came back in, holding a paper bag.</p><p>Stephen could tell immediately that it was from his favorite Thai place.</p><p>Tony gave him a warm smile as he went over to the small table, unpacking the food. He had gotten Stephen’s favorite, lo mein with plenty of vegetables and chicken. He took out a can of soda for himself, and a bottle of iced tea for Stephen.</p><p>Stephen sat down across from Tony, watching in awe as the other man put his food in front of him, handing over the plastic fork and knife and giving him a small napkin.</p><p>“Thank you,” Stephen breathed, making Tony look up at him. “Thank you, Tony.”</p><p>“You’re more than welcome. Feeling any better?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Stephen sighed. “I’m getting there.”</p><p>While they ate, Tony kept Stephen distracted by telling him about what he had been working on, and his theory about how Rhodey was trying to kill him by forcing Tony to work out with him all the time. Stephen found himself laughing while he listened to Tony complain about running around the city chasing his best friend.</p><p>When they were done, Tony put the leftovers in the fridge and cleaned up the table. Stephen was feeling a lot better, but his mind clearing made it obvious how tired he was.</p><p>“Movie?” Tony asked, coming to stand next to where Stephen was still sitting at the table.</p><p>He nodded once. “Yeah.”</p><p>He crawled onto the bed with Tony, who grabbed Stephen’s laptop and put it on the bed next to them. Tony was about to ask what Stephen wanted to watch when the other man cuddled up next to him, wrapping an arm around Tony’s waist and resting his head on Tony’s chest.</p><p>“Is this okay?” Stephen asked hesitantly. The only time they had ever really cuddled was immediately after sex, and that was only for short bursts.</p><p>“Yeah,” Tony managed to say. He wrapped an arm around Stephen’s shoulders and pulled a blanket over them. “This is more than okay.”</p><p>Stephen couldn’t even remember what they had started to watch. He fell asleep listening to the steady beat of Tony’s heart.</p><p>A week later, he took the MCAT, much more confident than he had thought he would be.</p><p>Six weeks later, he burst into Tony’s apartment, kissing him hard after telling him he had scored a 521. Which was in the 99<sup>th</sup> percentile. He wasn’t surprised two months later when he was accepted to Columbia Medical School, but that didn’t dampen his excitement. Or his desire to show Tony how appreciative he was for having helped him.</p><p>But, in true Tony Stark fashion, he had managed to turn the tables that night, making Stephen come over and over until he was sure his body was actually completely liquid. He kept Tony in his arms, not letting the other man move, despite the stickiness and sweat between their bodies.</p><p>“I’m so glad I met you.”</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen wasn’t trying to eavesdrop on Tony’s conversation. He pretended to be paying attention only to the article in front of him while Tony spoke to Pepper over the phone on the couch next to him. They were discussing the possibility of a new headquarters for the company in New York.</p><p>Tony didn’t seemed thrilled by the idea.</p><p>“I think expanding our offices here is definitely a good idea,” he was saying. “The self sufficient tower I’ve been working on would be perfect. I just don’t know that a full move would be a good idea.” He was silent for a few minutes while he listened. “Don’t you hate the snow? You haven’t spent much time here in the winter. Why don’t you come in February and then we’ll talk.” He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, okay. I’ll call you later. Bye Pep."</p><p>Tony hung up the phone before leaning forward and dropping it on the coffee table next to his abandoned mug. He was so lost in thought he almost didn’t hear Stephen when he finally spoke.</p><p>“I think you should do it.”</p><p>Tony looked over at him with a blank expression. “Do what?”</p><p>“Move to New York.”</p><p>Stephen put his article down and turned to fully face Tony. He was about to plead his case when the other man laughed softly.</p><p>“Why? Easier access?”</p><p>Stephen knew he had earned that remark. “No. It would just...don’t you miss it here?”</p><p>Tony shook his head slowly. “What are you doing, Stephen?”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“Don’t play dumb,” Tony scoffed. “Why do you want me to move to New York? I thought this was easier, putting the entire country between us most of the time.”</p><p>“It’s not easier.”</p><p>“What does that mean?” Tony wanted to know. “What are you saying?”</p><p>“I want you around more,” Stephen said with a small shrug.</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“What do you mean, why?”</p><p>Tony stood from the couch and crossed over to the other side of the room. “Me being around more is what always caused problems,” he pointed out. “You’ve never wanted that. Why is it different all of a sudden?”</p><p>“It’s not all of a sudden,” Stephen said quietly.</p><p>“Don’t lie,” Tony pleaded. “Please don’t lie to me.”</p><p>Stephen stood and went around the coffee table towards Tony, but the other man took two steps back as he did so. His eyes were searching Stephen’s as he tried to figure out what was going on.</p><p>“Tony,” Stephen said, begging his voice not to fail him. “The only time I lied to you was when I said I didn’t love you.”</p><p>Tony felt like he had been punched in the stomach. “I don’t understand,” he managed.</p><p>“I loved you then, and I love you now,” Stephen said as tears filled his eyes.</p><p>Tony breathed an empty laugh. “What the hell are you talking about?” he forced out. “Why would you have lied about that?”</p><p>“I was scared,” Stephen admitted.</p><p>“Of what?”</p><p>“Of you.”</p><p>Tony wasn’t sure how he hadn’t collapsed yet. “What did I do to make you scared of me?”</p><p>Stephen tried to take a deep breath. “I was afraid of how you made me feel. You were the only person who ever liked me for me. You never tried to change me. I thought that, after I left college, you would get sick of me. I didn’t want to try and balance med school with you and your company in the hopes it would work out because I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it if it didn’t.”</p><p>“So you just did to me what you assumed I was going to do to you? Beat me to the punch? What the hell gave you the idea that I was ever going to hurt you?”</p><p>“I didn’t think I was strong enough for you,” Stephen tried to explain. “Once I saw the real you, that the tough exterior was just an act, I didn’t think I could be what you needed and we would destroy each other.”</p><p>“We did destroy each other!” Tony yelled. “Everything you said that night, it was all a fucking lie? Just to hurt me so I would leave?”</p><p>Stephen nodded once. “Yes.”</p><p>Tony stared at him for what felt like hours.</p><p>“I can’t do this.”</p><p>He had enough wherewithal to retrieve his phone from the coffee table, but just barely. He tried to walk past Stephen, but the taller man moved in front of him.</p><p>“Don’t leave,” Stephen all but begged. “We need to talk about this.”</p><p>“Talk about what?” Tony asked. “I don’t want to hear that you loved me twelve years ago, and it still wasn’t enough for you to want to be with me. I can’t fucking hear that, Stephen."</p><p>“That’s not-”</p><p>“Get out of the way.”</p><p>Stephen held his hands up. “Tony, please just-”</p><p>“Get the fuck out of the way!”</p><p>Stephen let his hands fall to his sides and moved out of Tony’s path. He closed his eyes when he heard the door slam shut.</p><p>He didn’t go after him.</p><p>***</p><p>Stephen hadn’t had much time to think about his graduation the next day. He had spent the day wandering around the city with Tony, going to all of their favorite spots, enjoying the beautiful sunshine and warm air. Once back at Stephen’s apartment after dinner, they had immediately been all over each other. Stephen dropped to his knees and took Tony’s cock into his mouth before they even made it past the doorway. The older man let the door behind him support his weight while Stephen sucked him hungrily.</p><p>Tony pulled Stephen to his feet, kissing him hard, running his tongue around the taste of himself in Stephen’s mouth. They stumbled their way to the bed, where Tony pushed Stephen down onto the mattress. He rid himself of his shirt, pants and boxers before climbing on next to Stephen to get to work on his clothes as well.</p><p>Once he was naked, Tony covered Stephen’s body with his own, rutting their hips together to slide their cocks back and forth. Stephen moaned beneath him, and it went straight to Tony’s groin. As he started kissing down Stephen’s chest, he wrapped his hand around his dick, stroking him slowly.</p><p>He settled between Stephen’s legs while he pumped his cock. He flicked his tongue out to tease at the head, licking around the pre cum before sucking it into his mouth. Tony let saliva flood his mouth as he took more and more in, bobbing his head slowly. When he heard Stephen’s breathing picking up, he pulled off with an obscene pop.</p><p>Tony kept his hand working Stephen’s dick while his mouth traveled elsewhere. He licked around the base to Stephen’s balls, rolling them with his tongue before sliding down to Stephen’s perineum. He pressed his tongue against it firmly, and Stephen moaned loudly.</p><p>“Fuck, Tony,” he panted.</p><p>Tony smirked. He pulled back enough to catch his breath and shift Stephen’s legs over his shoulders. He looked up at the man above him staring down at him intently before diving back down.</p><p>Tony licked around Stephen’s rim slowly. His hand kept working his aching cock, the other carefully parting his cheeks so he could get better access. Stephen was breathing heavily, trying his best to keep his hips still as he watched.</p><p>Tony’s tongue pushed past the tight ring of muscle, and it was all Stephen could do not to come right then and there.</p><p>Tony licked into his body steadily. He swirled his tongue slowly at first, but gradually built his pace, keeping in time with his strokes to Stephen’s cock. He flicked his thumb across the head as his tongue dove back in, and Stephen knew he wouldn’t last long.</p><p>When Tony slid his fingers in with his tongue, Stephen’s hand flew to Tony’s hair and pulled so hard he couldn’t imagine how the strands hadn’t come loose.</p><p>Tony worked his fingers in and out while he jacked Stephen off. It was messy and the sounds he was making were absolutely filthy, but Stephen couldn’t get enough. His hips moved out of his control, fucking into Tony’s hand while also trying to push back against the fingers and tongue moving inside him.</p><p>“Fuck!” Stephen moaned when the tips of Tony’s fingers pressed against his prostate. He couldn’t manage any other words, and his vision was starting to black out around the edges.</p><p>Tony swiftly moved his mouth from Stephen’s hole back to his cock, sucking him down the back of his throat swiftly, swallowing around the throbbing length as he pushed three fingers into Stephen. He found the bundle of nerves easily, and once he pressed against it, Stephen was coming hard.</p><p>Tony sucked him through it, stroking his walls while Stephen clenched around him. He only pulled away when he had swallowed all Stephen had offered him.</p><p>And that had only been the beginning.</p><p>Stephen came again, inside Tony, after fucking him so hard into the mattress Tony hadn’t even been able to hold himself up. They next moved to the shower, where they had rubbed their cocks together through the soap and water, kissing and grinding against one another until they released onto their stomachs.</p><p>Another round was surely coming, but for now, they were lounging on Stephen’s bed, trying to regain their energy.</p><p>Stephen had tossed his black sweatpants and old Nebraska t shirt to Tony after they had emerged from the shower. He was thinking about how much he liked seeing Tony in his clothes when the silence was broken by the man next to him.</p><p>“Come to California with me.”</p><p>Stephen frowned immediately. “Columbia is in New York.”</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes with a small smile. “I’m aware of that. But you finally have a summer to yourself. And I think you should spend it in California, soaking up some sun before you spend the next four years in the library.”</p><p>“I don’t, uh, I don’t think...”</p><p>“You can’t move into your apartment until August, right?”</p><p>Stephen nodded silently. He felt his heart racing. He had dreaded this conversation, and had always managed to avoid it or change the subject up to this point. He should have known Tony wasn’t going to just give him a smile then go their separate ways.</p><p>“So come with me.”</p><p>“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Stephen muttered.</p><p>“Why not?” Tony asked. “We’ve spent three years together here. One summer in California won’t be any different.”</p><p>Stephen was afraid that it would be. He was terrified that if he went across the country with Tony, he wouldn’t ever want to come to back. And that would ruin everything, ruin his entire plan.</p><p>“We’re not together, Tony,” Stephen mumbled.</p><p>Tony shook his head. “Look, I know we’ve never talked about it, but this is more-”</p><p>“No, it’s not.”</p><p>Stephen knew he needed to be firm. He needed to cut this off, once and for all, before it was too late. He didn’t want to be dependent on Tony. There was too much that could go wrong.</p><p>There was even more than could go right, but he ignored that part.</p><p>Stephen got off the bed and took a few steps back. “Can’t we just enjoy this last night?”</p><p>“I don’t understand why this has to be the last night.”</p><p>“Come on, Tony.”</p><p>“No, tell me,” Tony insisted, getting off the bed himself. “Tell me why this can’t work.”</p><p>“Because I don’t want it to. I don’t have those feelings for you.”</p><p>“You’re not that good of an actor. This hasn’t just been about sex this entire time.”</p><p>Stephen sighed. “Yes, it has. I like you, but not more than just a friend. This was never going to be something that went past us being in Boston together. You’re going to run your company in California, and I’m going to New York. That’s it.”</p><p>“It doesn’t have to be,” Tony argued. “This works, Stephen. This can be-”</p><p>“I don’t want to be with you, okay?” Stephen snapped. He couldn’t let Tony talk him into this. “You’re a spoiled rich boy drug addict. What are we going to do? Have a long distance relationship across the country until you start fucking someone else? What’s the point of that?”</p><p>“Do you want me to go to rehab?” Tony asked. Stephen just stared. “I’ve been doing well, you know that. But I’ll go to rehab if that’s what you want. I’ll sell the fucking company if that’s what you want.”</p><p>“I don’t want that,” Stephen replied. “I don’t want you. The best part of this was that it always had an end date, which is today.”</p><p>“You don’t mean that,” Tony pleaded, his voice starting to break.</p><p>“I do,” Stephen implored. “Jesus, I thought you’d get the hint by now. I’m moving on, going to New York, starting the rest of my life. This chapter is closed, it’s over. We were never anything, but this is over, too.”</p><p>“Y-you knew how I felt,” Tony stammered. “I told you, that night. Did you think it had changed? Why did you-”</p><p>“I thought you could be an adult about it.”</p><p>Tony took a breath and let it out slowly. “I love you. You know that I love you.”</p><p>Stephen’s heart felt like it was going to leap out of his chest. This was his last shot to change course, to make this okay.</p><p>“I don’t love you.”</p><p>Tony managed the keep the tears from falling from his eyes.</p><p>“You don’t have to do this,” he begged. “We can figure this out.”</p><p>“There’s nothing to figure out,” Stephen stated. “It’s done.”</p><p>Tony felt like the floor was going to slide out from under his feet. He didn’t understand how this was all going so wrong so quickly.</p><p>“Was this your plan all along?” he demanded, trying to use anger to stave off despair.</p><p>“My plan was to graduate and go to med school,” Stephen said. “That was always my plan, and you knew that. You never factored into that part. I never thought about you being around long enough.”</p><p>“Because you never wanted to talk about it.”</p><p>“Talk about it when? You waited until the night before I graduate to bring it up. You never asked me to go to California with you because you knew what my answer was going to be. You waited until the last minute when you knew I would say no.”</p><p>“So if I had asked you earlier, you would have said yes?”</p><p>“No,” Stephen sighed. “I wouldn’t have.”</p><p>Tony’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “So this is it?”</p><p>“Why do you have to make it more than it is?” Stephen wanted to know. “You’re letting emotion cloud your judgment and see things that weren’t there.”</p><p>“Are you fucking kidding me?” Tony said, exasperated. “Nothing was there? Not on your birthday that first year? Or the anniversary of my parent’s death? Or when Ty beat the shit out of me? Or all the time we spent together that had nothing to do with sex? That was just fuck buddy stuff?”</p><p>“Getting pizza or seeing a movie together doesn’t make a relationship.”</p><p>“Yes, it fucking does,” Tony argued. “It’s part of it. It proves there was more than just sex. There were so many times we hung out without ever even touching each other. You can’t say-”</p><p>“How many times do you want to hear it?” Stephen interjected. “I don’t love you. I don’t want to be with you. Whatever this was, whatever sentimental bullshit you want to call it, wasn’t enough to deal with the drama and chaos that you always cause. You’re not worth it, Tony.”</p><p>Tony wouldn’t let Stephen’s words sink in. He couldn’t.</p><p>“This isn’t you,” he said, moving towards Stephen.</p><p>“You don’t know me.”</p><p>“Yes, I do, and you know me.”</p><p>He reached out for Stephen, but the other man batted his hands away and stepped back. Tony wouldn’t let up, though. Emotion was taking over, and he couldn’t help it. When he extended his arms again, though, Stephen’s own emotions overflowed.</p><p>Stephen seized Tony’s wrists aggressively and surged forward. He leveraged Tony backwards until the back of his knees hit the bed and he fell onto it. Stephen pinned him down with his hands over his head.</p><p>“I know you, and I don’t want you,” Stephen spat. “No one is going to want you. Jesus Christ, you’re so fucking much I could...”</p><p>Tony stared up at him with glassy eyes. “You could what? Hit me?” he challenged. “Go ahead, Stephen. Hit me.”</p><p>Stephen immediately released Tony’s wrists and pushed himself off the bed. He moved over to the other side of the room, breathing heavily.</p><p>“Just leave.”</p><p>Tony stayed on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The tears finally overflowed and rolled down his face. He took the deepest breath he could, but he was barely able to get any air into his lungs. He sat up and looked over at Stephen. His eyes were down at the floor, looking anywhere other than at him. Tony pulled on his shoes and was out the door without another word or look back at Stephen.</p><p>He didn’t go after him.</p><p>***</p><p>Tony didn’t sleep more than an hour here or there for the next three weeks.</p><p>He was totally numb. He couldn’t work, couldn’t eat, couldn’t do anything. All he could think about was that night, now almost thirteen years ago, when he thought his world was ending. When he thought the only person he had ever loved didn’t feel the same.</p><p>Somehow, finding out Stephen did love him hurt more.</p><p>Because he kept thinking about what they could have had. What could have happened between them. All the times Tony had drank himself to sleep, or used cocaine to stay up for a week straight to try and live up to his father’s expectations, he could have had Stephen by his side instead. He could have been happy.</p><p>But Stephen had chosen not to be with him, despite being in love with him.</p><p>And Tony was positive that nothing would ever hurt more than that.</p><p>***</p><p>The rest of that night was one of the longest of Stephen’s life.</p><p>He didn’t sleep, he didn’t even try.</p><p>He sat up the entire night convincing himself that he had done the right thing. That breaking Tony’s heart, and his own, had been the right thing to do.</p><p>Stephen didn’t register most of his graduation. It should have been a great memory, the highlight of his life so far. But all he could think about was how Tony would have teased him about his cap and gown and all the honors cords he had to wear.</p><p>Part of him had hoped to see a missed call or a text from Tony when he was able to check his phone later that day.</p><p>But there was nothing.</p><p>So he pretended it was okay and that he had everything in front of him to look forward to, and didn’t need to worry about the past.</p><p>***</p><p>Every attempt to get in touch with Tony the last three weeks had gone unanswered.</p><p>Stephen had never felt this level of desperation before. He couldn’t remember a time that Tony’s name hadn’t come up in the press for three days before, never mind three weeks. He was scared and worried, and there was nothing he could do about it.</p><p>So you could imagine his shock when he answered his apartment door to find Tony standing on the other side.</p><p>The knock itself had some as a surprise to him, seeing as how no one had buzzed the intercom asking for entrance, and he wasn’t expecting anyone.</p><p>To say that Tony was soaking wet would be an understatement.</p><p>Stephen vaguely recalled that it had been raining all afternoon, but he had been too caught up in his own thoughts to ever realize how heavy it had gotten. But Tony was now exemplifying just that. His hair was plastered to his head, and his clothes were sopping wet.</p><p>It didn’t appear that Tony was even aware of that.</p><p>“Jesus,” Stephen breathed. “Did you walk here?”</p><p>“Were you lying then, or are you lying now?” Tony asked, as if Stephen hadn’t even spoken.</p><p>“What?” Stephen asked, shaking his head slowly. “Tony, you need to-”</p><p>“I don’t need to do a fucking thing,” Tony interrupted. He tried to sound forceful, but his voice was as shaky as his body. “You, on the other hand, need to answer the question.”</p><p>“I was lying then,” Stephen answered. “Can you please just-”</p><p>“Why?” Tony demanded. “I don’t understand why.”</p><p>“Come inside,” Stephen offered, stepping out of the way. “You need to get out of those wet clothes before-”</p><p>“What I <em>need</em> is for you to tell me the truth,” Tony said. “I don’t care if I get pneumonia and die right here and now. I need to understand what the hell is going on.”</p><p>Stephen managed to stop himself from replying and stepped back into the foyer of the apartment. When Tony stayed still, Stephen sighed and started walking towards the kitchen.</p><p>“You’re going to have to come inside if you want me to answer anything else.”</p><p>The sound of the door slamming actually brought a small smile to Stephen’s lips. He flipped the coffee maker on before turning around to find Tony dripping on the kitchen floor.</p><p>“Why did you say all of that to me if it wasn’t true?”</p><p>Stephen felt his heart clench. “I thought it was what was best, for both of us. I was afraid that if I didn’t do it then, and we tried to make a cross country relationship work, it would have been so much worse. And I just...I was selfish.”</p><p>“You chose nothing, over me,” Tony choked out. “You wanted to be alone rather than be with me. Even though you loved me.”</p><p>“Love you,” Stephen corrected. “And, yes, technically-”</p><p>“Don’t do that,” Tony pleaded. “Don’t try and rationalize it.”</p><p>“Tony, I made a mistake.”</p><p>“You didn’t make a mistake, you made a choice! And you didn’t choose me!”</p><p>Stephen looked from Tony’s bloodshot eyes to his slightly blue, trembling lips. His skin was far too pale, and he looked like he was about to pass out at any second.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Stephen all but whispered. “I’m so, so sorry. But you’re freezing, Tony, and you need to-”</p><p>“Stop telling me what I need!” Tony yelled. “I needed you! I’ve always needed you, always wanted you, and I couldn’t ever have you. I thought what we were doing these last few months was enough, because it was better than nothing. And now I find out I could have had everything if I had just...”</p><p>He was cut off by a sob making its way into his throat.</p><p>Stephen wanted to hug him, to hold him until he stopped shaking, but he knew that would cause more harm than good at this point. He heard the coffee maker gurgling behind him, but made no attempt to go over to it.</p><p>“It wasn’t your fault,” Stephen said softly. “None of it was. It was all me. I was immature and selfish and so fucking stupid. There’s no excuse. I know that there’s nothing I can say to change what I did to you.”</p><p>“So why did you even tell me?”</p><p>Stephen frowned. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“Why did you tell me the truth? Why did you tell me that you...” Tony trailed off, unable to even finish the sentence.</p><p>“Because I thought you deserved to know.”</p><p>Tony scoffed. “Bullshit. You wanted to make sure you could always have me whenever you wanted to. Which was already the case, so you didn’t have to rip my fucking heart out again in order to do that.”</p><p>“That’s not why,” Stephen insisted gently. “I just...wanted to make things right.”</p><p>“How does this make things right?”</p><p>“I don’t...I don’t know. I just needed to tell you, I guess.”</p><p>“Anything else you need?” Tony asked sarcastically. “Another blow job, maybe? Want to fuck me over the counter?”</p><p>Stephen deserved that. He deserved worse.</p><p>“No,” he said weakly. “I didn’t want to keep using you like that, because I know how you feel, and I thought that because I feel the same way-”</p><p>“That what? Everything is going to be fine and we can live happily ever after? I wasn’t enough for you then, why would I be enough for you now?”</p><p>“I’m not the same person I was back then.”</p><p>“You’ve gotten all the important stuff out of the way, so now you might as well waste some more time on me?”</p><p>“No. Tony, that’s not it. I realized how bad I fucked up. I thought I was okay living without you. I got really good at convincing myself of that, and then I saw you again, and realized how wrong I had been all these years.”</p><p>Tears were falling from Tony’s eyes, mixing with the rain drops still clinging to his cheeks.</p><p>“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here,” he said weakly.</p><p>“Can I make a suggestion?”</p><p>“If you say anything about needing to get out of these wet clothes, I’m going to fucking snap.”</p><p>Stephen’s lips twitched ever so slightly. But Tony caught it. And it allowed him to finally take a deep breath.</p><p>“I should just go,” Tony muttered. “This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have come here.”</p><p>“I’m not going to stop you,” Stephen said. “But, if you’re willing to stay, let me give you some warm clothes. Take a hot shower. And maybe have some coffee with me?”</p><p>Tony sighed. “You do make really good coffee.”</p><p>Stephen let himself smile. He waited for Tony to make eye contact again before turning to walk towards his bedroom. He heard Tony follow after a few seconds.</p><p>Stephen made sure there were clean towels for Tony hanging on the rack before leaving the bathroom for him.</p><p>“You know where everything is,” he prompted. “Take your time.”</p><p>Tony just nodded once before going into the bathroom and closing the door.</p><p>He leaned back against it, breathing deeply, trying to keep his head from spinning. He was so very tired. He wanted to crawl into a warm bed and sleep until everything made sense again. He tried to think of the last time things actually made sense, but that just made his headache worse.</p><p>Tony turned the shower on, letting it heat up as he stripped off his cold, wet clothes. He then climbed in, standing under the rush of water, sighing at the heat working its way into his body. He turned so the water could pound against his sore back and shoulders, glancing over at the soap and shampoo on the shelf. He could smell them without opening the bottles. He had smelled them on Stephen enough to have it committed to memory. So he opted to just let the water warm him up without any further cleansing being necessary.</p><p>When he felt like staying in there any longer would simply be awkward, he got out and wrapped the soft towels around him. He ruffled his hair until it was mostly dry, not caring how messy it was before pulling the door open to walk back into the bedroom. He was wondering what he was going to wear now when he noticed the clothes laid out on the bed.</p><p>A pair of sweatpants that would certainly be too big for him, but looked so god damn warm. A plain long sleeved t shirt and a zip up hoodie. Socks. A pair of boxers Tony could swear he had taken off Stephen the last time he was here.</p><p>Tony put the clothes on slowly, feeling the weight of his emotions settling into his muscles. He felt completely drained, but the thought of a nice cup of coffee was appealing enough to get him to get off the bed and head back into the kitchen. He could see Stephen sitting in the living room, two cups steaming on the coffee table in front of him, hands clasped together, deep in thought. Tony took a deep breath before going over to sit down next to him.</p><p>Stephen looked up and watched as Tony settled on the couch. He reached over and handed him his mug, which Tony took with a small smile. He took a long sip, letting his eyes fall briefly closed as he did so.</p><p>Tony held the mug between his hand as he moved back as far into the couch as he could. He kept taking deep breaths, finding that the smell of Stephen coming from the clothes he was wearing was actually helping to keep him calm.</p><p>“Where do we go from here?” Tony suddenly asked.</p><p>Stephen wished he had a good answer to that. “I think it’s up to you.”</p><p>Tony huffed. “Great. Because I’m fantastic at making life altering decisions.”</p><p>“I don’t mean to put it all on you,” Stephen added. “I just...I think it should be your call. I don’t deserve a single thing from you that you’re not willing to give. I know it’s not fair of me to have put you in this position. All I can do at this point is let you do whatever you think is best, whatever it is that you want.”</p><p>“I want to be able to know what’s going to happen,” Tony all but whispered. “I know what I want. But I don’t know if it’s just going to make everything worse. I don’t want to get hurt anymore, and I don’t want to hurt you.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what to do, Stephen.”</p><p>“I don’t know what I can say. I know this is my fault, and I wish I could take it all back. I wish I could go back to when you first told me how you felt and tell you that I felt the same.”</p><p>“You knew then?”</p><p>Stephen sighed. “I wasn’t in love with you yet, but I knew I had feelings for you. I could tell I was falling for you, and that’s what scared me so much.”</p><p>“I can’t keep doing this. That much I know for sure. Now knowing that you...that you feel the same way. But I don’t think I can walk way from you, either.”</p><p>“I don’t want you to,” Stephen was saying before he could stop himself.</p><p>Tony looked up at the ceiling to try and keep the tears at bay. “But I can’t lose you again,” he admitted. He looked back down to meet Stephen’s eyes. “Losing you was unbearable. It hurt in a completely different way than losing my parents. Because you were still here. Have you ever tried to grieve the loss of someone who’s still alive? It’s fucking impossible.”</p><p>“I can’t promise you that this is going to work out perfectly. I don’t know that. But I can promise you that I’m willing to try, if you are. And I know that you were right, all those years ago. It was always good, between us. It was more than just sex. It was...so much more.”</p><p>“But it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough.”</p><p>Stephen shook his head. “It wasn’t you. It was me.”</p><p>“It was you reacting to me. It was based off of me.”</p><p>“No. Well, not in a bad way.”</p><p>Tony cocked an eyebrow. “How was it not in a bad way?”</p><p>“It was because I fell in love with you. And I didn’t know what to do with that. But I do now, because I’m finally able to not be a complete idiot.”</p><p>“Well, I wouldn’t go that far.”</p><p>Stephen breathed a short laugh. “Good point.”</p><p>Tony looked at the man across from him for a long time before he spoke again.</p><p>“So these last few months...it was all real?”</p><p>Stephen considered for a second, but he didn’t know what Tony was talking about. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“Us, getting along. Like we used to. I thought it was just playing nice for the sake of great sex.” He chewed his lip briefly. “Was it?”</p><p>“It was real,” Stephen said immediately. “I tried to stay away from you, because I know how much I hurt you. But I knew my feelings hadn’t gone away, they had only intensified, and I just...fuck. I saw how it could be, how it should have been. And I’m selfish. So I want that. I want you.”</p><p>Tony leaned over to put his mug back down next to Stephen’s. He combed his hands through his damp hair and sighed heavily.</p><p>“I really have no idea what to do,” he all but whispered.</p><p>Stephen tried to stay quiet. He tried to just give Tony time and not push, not make this any harder than he already had.</p><p>But he just needed to know.</p><p>“Do you still love me?”</p><p>Tony stayed so still that Stephen was starting to think the other man hadn’t heard him. But then he finally dropped his hands from his hair and looked over.</p><p>“Of course I do,” Tony breathed. “I can’t imagine that ever changing. I’ve always loved you.”</p><p>Stephen felt his breath hitch in his throat at how sad Tony sounded in saying that.</p><p>“You obviously don’t have to decide anything right now,” Stephen said to keep himself from breaking down. “I know that I don’t deserve a second chance. Or fifth chance, whatever number this is.”</p><p>Tony let out the smallest of laughs. “I’m not trying to be a dick and torture you. You don’t deserve that. I just...god, I’m so fucking tired.”</p><p>Stephen nodded once. “I can drive you back to your hotel, if you want.”</p><p>Tony chewed his lip. “Can I stay here?”</p><p>“Of course you can. I can sleep out here, you can take the-”</p><p>“I want you with me.”</p><p>Stephen could only stare into Tony’s exhausted brown eyes.</p><p>“I haven’t slept in I don’t know how long. I always sleep better next to you. Is that okay? I swear I’m not trying to be a tease, I just-”</p><p>“Tony,” Stephen interrupted gently. “I know. It’s okay. Whatever you need.”</p><p>Stephen watched as Tony nodded slowly while wiping at his eyes. He seemed too tired to be able to do anything else but sit there.</p><p>“Hey,” Stephen prompted quietly. “What can I do?”</p><p>Tony smiled the best he could. “Nothing. I’m fine. I just need some sleep.”</p><p>“Then let’s get you some sleep.”</p><p>Tony found himself following Stephen into the bedroom before he realized they had gotten off the couch. He hesitated, watching as Stephen climbed in and under the blankets. He was about to lay down when he saw Tony standing there, tugging on the sleeve of Stephen’s shirt he was wearing.</p><p>“I can sleep on the couch,” Stephen offered again. “I don’t mind. I just want you to be comfortable.”</p><p>Tony was shaking his head the entire time Stephen was talking. “I am comfortable,” he murmured. “That’s what’s scaring me. This is what I want. To be able to just sleep with you and wake up and have everything be okay but I just...”</p><p>He trailed off as tears started flowing steadily from his eyes. Stephen was out of the bed and hugging him tightly in seconds. Tony pressed his face into Stephen’s shoulder and wrapped his shaking arms around him.</p><p>“I’m so fucking sorry, Tony.”</p><p>“It’s not that,” Tony choked out. “I’m a mess, Stephen. I’m worse than when I was twenty-five. I haven’t gotten better like you have. I’m a fucking train wreck of a person and it’s not fair to you.”</p><p>“The last thing I deserve is fair,” Stephen replied. “But you’re not worse. You were always a better person than me.” He felt Tony shaking his head against his neck, so he pulled back to look at him. “I know that this is a lot. I’m sorry to have thrown this at you the way I did. It was so selfish. And I know it’s easier said than done, but we have time to figure this out. You don’t need to do anything right now other than try and get some sleep.”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Tony mumbled.</p><p>“Don’t apologize. You’re not doing anything wrong.” He pulled Tony back against him. “It should have never come to this. I’m the one who put you in this spot.”</p><p>Tony let out a shaky breath as he gripped Stephen tighter. “I think I’m going to be glad that you did.”</p><p>*</p><p>When Tony woke up the next morning, Stephen wasn’t in the bed next to him.</p><p>So he closed his eyes again and tried to fall back asleep, telling himself that Stephen was probably just in the bathroom and would be back soon.</p><p>He wasn’t sure how long he tried that, but it was long enough that it became blatantly obvious that he was wrong. So he decided to force himself out of the soft bed to go and find the man whose apartment he was in, wanting to get it over with.</p><p>Tony was assuming that Stephen had realized he had made a mistake and regretted telling Tony how he felt. He thought that it might even be as bad as that Stephen had lied about having feelings for him in order to try and make him feel better and was going to take it all back. He was trying to brace himself for another brutal heartbreak when he walked into the kitchen to find Stephen on the phone, leaning up against the counter.</p><p>He smiled when he saw Tony emerge, and that simple look was able to quash all of Tony’s anxiety. Tony stood on the edge of the kitchen, half listening as Stephen continued his conversation with what sounded like someone at the hospital, half trying to keep up with the thoughts racing through his mind.</p><p>He let himself get so lost in his own head that he hadn’t even realized Stephen had hung up the phone and turned to look at him.</p><p>“Sorry,” Stephen said, getting Tony’s attention. “I didn’t want to wake you up, and those calls always take longer than they should.” Tony just looked at him. “Did you sleep okay?”</p><p>Tony eventually nodded. “Yeah,” he answered. “I did. Do you have to go?”</p><p>Stephen shook his head. “No, just a consult.” Stephen could pick up on Tony’s unease without even really having to try. “Do you need to go? Do you have a meeting or anything today?”</p><p>“No. I, uh, I actually just came to New York for you. I didn’t have to be back until next week. Logistically, not the best plan, but I couldn’t wait.”</p><p>“I hope I didn’t drive you nuts with all the calls and texts,” Stephen said softly.</p><p>“No, no. Sorry I didn’t respond, I just thought this should be face to face.”</p><p>Tony took a few steps into the kitchen to stand on the other side of the island opposite Stephen. He put his hands on the back of one of the chairs and leaned forward slightly. Stephen stayed in his spot against the counter, unsure of what, if anything, he should do. Just as the silence was starting to turn to tension, Tony spoke.</p><p>“I know you said I don’t have to make up my mind right now. But spending time thinking about it won’t change anything. I’ve been thinking about it since we started this whole thing. I don’t have a choice that I have to make. I’ve never had a choice when it comes to you.”</p><p>Stephen stood rooted to the spot, trying to process Tony’s words and figure out a viable response. But the other man continued.</p><p>“I want to be with you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I may not have any idea how we do that at this point, but I just don’t really care right now.”</p><p>“I don’t, uh,” Stephen stammered. “I don’t know what to say.”</p><p>“I’d settle for you telling me that you loved me again.”</p><p>Stephen swiftly went around the island to Tony. One hand found the other man’s hip, while the other reached up and brushed Tony’s hair off his forehead before settling on the back of his neck.</p><p>“I love you, Tony.”</p><p>Tony looked into Stephen’s gray eyes and saw his words reflected there.</p><p>“I love you too, Stephen.”</p><p>And for now, that was enough to make it work.</p><p>*</p><p>“This isn’t going to work.”</p><p>Stephen was glad he had put his glass down before Tony spoke, otherwise, he would have certainly dropped it to the tile floor.</p><p>He looked up at the other man, who was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, an annoyed and yet determined look on his face.</p><p>To say he had been caught off guard by Tony’s declaration was an understatement. Over the course of the last two months, things between them had been going very well. Tony was spending a lot of time in New York, working on the tower and other SI matters. He would still stay in his regular hotel, but would also spend many nights at Stephen’s apartment.</p><p>Stephen wasn’t sure what the issue was.</p><p>“What isn’t going to work?” he asked.</p><p>Tony gave him an unimpressed look. “Have you noticed anything different the last couple weeks?” Tony inquired.</p><p>Stephen stared at the other man as if he was hoping the answer was going to suddenly appear on Tony’s forehead. “I...” he started, but immediately trailed off. “Haven’t things been good?”</p><p>“No,” Tony replied. “I have been acting like a total dick, and you haven’t said one word.”</p><p>“What?” Stephen said with a shake of his head. “I’m not following.”</p><p>“I’ve been trying to piss you off on purpose.”</p><p>“Okay,” Stephen said lamely. “Am I supposed to know why?”</p><p>Tony uncrossed his arms so he could use his hands to emphasize his points. “Because you’re tiptoeing around me, and it’s driving me insane.”</p><p>“What are you talking about?”</p><p>Tony sighed. “You’re so afraid of doing something that would cause tension or upset me that you would let me get away with murder. So I’ve been testing you. Not cleaning anything up, leaving my wet towels on your side of the bed, staring at my phone and ignoring you while you’re talking to me. Everything I can fucking think of to try and get a reaction out of you.”</p><p>“Are you insane?” Stephen pondered.</p><p>“Yes, but that’s not relevant.”</p><p>“I don’t understand. You want me to be mad at you?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Any particular reason?”</p><p>“Because that’s normal, Stephen. Especially for us. Arguing, full on fighting, that’s normal. That’s healthy. What’s not is acting like everything is perfect.”</p><p>Stephen nodded slightly. “I will admit, I have been biting my tongue. Little things like that just doesn’t seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things.”</p><p>“And they’re not. After what we’ve been through, they’re not. But that doesn’t mean you can’t tell me to be an adult and do the dishes. I want you to tell me to shut up when you’re trying to work and I’m being a pain in the ass. I want you to be able to be honest with me.”</p><p>“You’re right,” Stephen agreed immediately.</p><p>“Yeah. I know.”</p><p>Stephen breathed a laugh. “I just...after what I did, I thought it was only fair to give you a long leash. I should have to do your dishes for the rest of our lives.”</p><p>“Well, I can’t say I wouldn’t be on board with that,” Tony said thoughtfully. He walked over to where Stephen was sitting at the island and laced his fingers through the short hair at the back of Stephen’s head. “I know we can’t totally forget about our past. But I don’t want our future to be affected by what happened thirteen years ago. We’re both different people now, and I for one want to move on. I want to move forward, with you."</p><p>Stephen smiled up at him. “Yeah. Me too.”</p><p>He craned his neck up and met Tony halfway for a kiss. His hand found Tony’s hip and he sighed into the embrace.</p><p>“Plus,” Tony muttered against his lips. “No fighting means no makeup sex. And that’s just not reasonable.”</p><p>Stephen laughed as his lips claimed Tony’s again. He stood fro his seat, maneuvering Tony until his back was pressed against the edge of the counter as Stephen stepped forward against him.</p><p>“Does this count as a fight?” he purred, moving his mouth across Tony’s jaw and down to his neck.</p><p>“It does, especially since I won.”</p><p>Stephen hummed. “Well, to the victor go the spoils, right?”</p><p>“Damn straight.”</p><p>Tony moved his head so he could find Stephen’s lips with his own again. He licked into the taller man’s mouth hungrily, hands snaking their way under Stephen’s t shirt to stroke across his flat stomach and abs. He rolled his hips forward lazily into Stephen’s, which caused the other man to drop his hands to palm Tony’s ass.</p><p>Tony broke the kiss, pulling Stephen’s bottom lip between his teeth as he did so.</p><p>“I’m going to need you to come with me, Doc.”</p><p>Stephen went willing as he was tugged from the kitchen to the bedroom. Tony managed to rid them of their shirts and sweatpants before he pushed Stephen back onto the bed. Tony climbed on top of him, straddling his waist and lining up their half hard cocks through the thin fabric of their boxers. Tony ground down against Stephen as they made out, their breathing speeding up along with the movement of their hands.</p><p>Tony’s hand slipped beneath the waistband of Stephen’s boxers to stroke the heated flesh while Stephen’s hands were busied teasing Tony’s nipples into hard buds. Once he had accomplished his task, he pulled Tony down so they were laying on their sides and made quick work of their boxers so their skin could finally be pressed together. Tony adjusted his grip so he could pump their cocks together, thrusting his hips forward against Stephen’s.</p><p>Stephen hooked a leg around Tony’s hip and forced himself forward, pressing Tony back into the mattress. He continued to rut down against the man under him as he kissed across Tony’s chest. He reluctantly shifted his hips down when he ran out of skin to kiss, slowly making his way down Tony’s body, nipping and biting as he went. He listened as Tony’s breathing gradually quickened the closer Stephen got to his goal.</p><p>He wrapped his long fingers around Tony’s cock and gave him a few short, lazy pumps while he sucked a bruise into Tony’s hip. He considered for a few seconds how much of a tease he wanted to be, but when he looked up and saw Tony’s eyes, black with lust, he couldn’t wait any longer.</p><p>Saliva flooded Stephen’s mouth as he moved his head between Tony’s legs. His tongue flicked out and swept across the underside of Tony’s cock, tracing the vein that ran from the base to the head. He then sucked the crown into his mouth, swirling his tongue around a few times before sliding down slowly.</p><p>Tony’s hands flew into his hair as he started to suck him down. Stephen hollowed his cheeks and flattened his tongue, using just the right amount of suction that he knew Tony loved.</p><p>“Fuck, Tony moaned in appreciation. “Your mouth always feels so good.”</p><p>Stephen hummed around the cock in his mouth, sending the vibrations through Tony’s body. He pulled back slightly and looked up at Tony, nodding the best he could.</p><p>Tony got the hint.</p><p>He felt the head of his dick nudging the back of Stephen’s throat, and when it opened and he slid down, he thrust his hips off the bed, groaning loudly while Stephen deep throated him. Tony watched as the spit flowed from Stephen’s mouth down his cock, coating his erection and his balls in the warm liquid.</p><p>“Oh my god,” he panted when he felt Stephen’s throat constricting around him. Tony made the executive decision to pull his hips back and tug at Stephen’s hair before this was over too soon. When Stephen looked back up at him, it was all Tony could do not to come right there.</p><p>“I want to come with you inside me,” Tony declared. “Please, Stephen, fuck. I need you.”</p><p>Stephen popped off Tony’s cock dramatically, but wasted no time in pulling the lube from the bedside table and pouring what he needed onto his palm. He stroked two fingers into Tony’s body, moaning at the feel of the man beneath him still stretched from their activities the night before.</p><p>“You have no idea how good you feel,” Stephen praised, curling his fingers as he retracted them from Tony’s body. “So fucking good.”</p><p>He stretched three fingers enough to feel confident that Tony was ready before slicking his throbbing cock and lining it up with Tony’s hole. He gripped Tony’s hip when the other man wrapped his legs around Stephen’s waist, pulling him down until his head slipped past his rim.</p><p>Stephen stared down at the man under him, pupils blown wide, cheeks flushed, hair an absolute mess. Tony look back up at him, and managed a lopsided smile before seizing Stephen’s lips.</p><p>“Take me apart, Stephen.”</p><p>Stephen’s head fell forward against Tony’s neck as he pushed forward into his perfect heat. They moaned in unison until Stephen bottomed out. He gave Tony a split second to catch his breath before he started to move.</p><p>Stephen pounded into his lover hard and fast. Once he started, he couldn’t hold back. He worked the entirety of his cock in and out, angling his hips after the first few strokes to slam into Tony’s prostate.</p><p>“Fuck! Yes, Stephen,” Tony moaned. “Harder, baby. Fuck me harder.”</p><p>Tony’s wishes were granted.</p><p>Stephen’s balls slapped against the globes of Tony’s ass as he fucked into him perfectly. He gripped Tony’s hip hard enough to bruise. When he saw Tony start to reach for his own cock, Stephen grabbed his wrist and pinned it over Tony’s head, his stomach pressing down against Tony’s erection.</p><p>“You’re going to come untouched,” Stephen decided. A deep whine escaped from the back of Tony’s throat. “Can you do that for me?”</p><p>Tony nodded. “Yes, god yes.”</p><p>Stephen never let up, his pace continuing with sure hit after sure hit to Tony’s bundle of nerves. He moaned when he felt Tony’s body clenching around him, knowing the other man was as close as he was.</p><p>He sucked Tony’s tongue into his mouth before pulling back enough to maintain eye contact.</p><p>“Come with me, Tony,” he all but demanded.</p><p>Tony’s orgasm ripped through him so suddenly he could barely cry out. His come quickly spread between their bodies, and the additional heat sent Stephen over the edge, spilling deep into Tony. Stephen fucked them through their releases, grinding his hips down against Tony’s to chase the incredible feeling.</p><p>When Stephen no longer had the strength to hold himself up, he let his arms give out and fell slightly to the side, but was still mostly on top of Tony. The sound of their heavy breathing filled the room as they clung to each other. Stephen shifted so his head rest on Tony’s chest and he could hear the thundering of his heart.</p><p>Tony swept his hand up into Stephen’s sweaty hair and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.</p><p>“Now can you imagine how great the make up sex will be when we actually fight?”</p><p>Stephen laughed into Tony’s warm skin. He pulled his hips back enough to pull out of Tony and lifted his head to rest his chin on Tony’s sternum and look up at him.</p><p>“Can we fight every day?”</p><p>Tony smiled widely. “That sounds about right for us.”</p><p>Hours later, after they had eaten dinner together and were sitting on the couch while Stephen flipped through the channel to find something to watch, Tony found himself staring at the man next to him.</p><p>Once Stephen noticed, he paused his repeated pressing of the down button and looked over at Tony. Before he could inquire, the billionaire spoke.</p><p>“I meant what I said, earlier,” he started. Stephen raised an eyebrow slightly. “I want you to be comfortable around me and know you can always be honest with me.”</p><p>Stephen’s expression softened in to a small smile. “There’s no one I’m more comfortable around. I promise I won’t hold back anymore.”</p><p>Tony chewed his lip briefly. “I just...I really want us to make it.”</p><p>Stephen let the remote fall to the couch between them so he could reach over and take Tony’s hand into his own.</p><p>“So do I, Tony,” he agreed. “And I think we will, because of you.” When Tony appeared to want to argue, Stephen squeezed his hand and continued. “I have no business sitting next to you right now, let alone be in a relationship with you.”</p><p>“Are you trying to pick another fight?”</p><p>Stephen smirked. “Not tired out from earlier?”</p><p>“You’re cute,” Tony deadpanned. “But I’m serious.”</p><p>“I am too,” Stephen asserted. “I know how lucky I am to be with you. I’m not going to screw this up again. We both know it won’t be easy, but I gotta tell you, I really like our odds.”</p><p>Tony smiled warmly. “I really like you.”</p><p>“Dork.”</p><p>“Asshole.”</p><p>“Douchebag.”</p><p>Tony yanked on Stephen’s hand to close the gap between them and press their lips together. “Say it again.”</p><p>“Douchebag?” Stephen asked.</p><p>Tony laughed. “No. The part where we make it.”</p><p>“We’re going to make it,” Stephen said. “Especially since there aren’t two more stubborn people on this planet, so by sheer force of will it’s going to work out.”</p><p>Tony’s laughter was cut short by Stephen kissing him soundly.</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part Two</h2></a>
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    <p>**I have posted the second part of this story as its own story, titled I Love The Way You Lie. It picks up shortly after this story ends and deals with Tony and Stephen's lives together post Tony becoming Iron Man, and then after Stephen's accident leading up to Thanos. It's quite long, so I posted it as its own story in case anyone wanted to simply read that one and not this first :) **</p>
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